Social media –The Role changer?

 

When I was learning about “Role of Social Media in public sector” in my class I thought, let me get the genuine feedback from my close relatives/friends in India about-How they perceive these Social Media tools?

 

 I sent the following questioners to target audience:

 

Two of them, who enthusiastically replied, are well educated females-one independently working professional and the other one a house wife. Both are having young kids, active social life, typical family life with usual responsibilities of a home maker also.

 

I posed following questions to them:

1-when did you join social media site? Are you active on any such site or more than one? How many friends are linked with you through these sites?

-Share some memorable experiences/moments you got through these sites and any experience you would like to forget?

3-What is your children's reaction to you being an active user of such sites?

4-how do you evaluate this generation's approach towards such sites?
5-Do you think in India, government departments/organizations should start to connect with people through such sites?
 6-How do you manage your time to remain active on such sites?

7-With your relatives across India/world do you use social media or any other tools to keep in touch with them?

8 Does your spouse ever say “hey! It’s too much-?"
In short how does he/she take your involvement on such sites?

After going through their responses, I found following points worth sharing:

 

1-Having active routine life at home or at profession has not become a hurdle for them as far as their constant presence on social media is concerned. They have found their own methods of “time management “so nothing comes in between

2-The younger generation in India is positively accepting their mother’s presence on such sites; at times they are proud of it [“My mom has access to this ...you know she came to know through fb/twitter/etc...”] So young boys/girls welcome the active vigilant mothers too!

3- If you want to criticise any male [husband] in India, you just have to call him “traditional/orthodox man “it is said that Indian males are typically possessing male dominance nature inherently. Education/cultural/caste may make some difference but not that great. As if it is proving a rule, exceptions are there, but very few.

 

The active females I came across specified that THEY HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS THE INTERFERENCE FROM THERE HUSBANDS.I consider this to be the most important aspect as to how social media is changing concepts of gender equality in society. Someone may get tempted to make a general statement that “The cell phone and the social media are becoming tools of self-reliance and equality for female of India”-

4 Interestingly, the flavour I found from their replies about the Government’s initiation for using social media in to their day to day business, off course the indication is there that “this must be done systematically and should be consistently maintained”[which we know a tough  task for any government in the world !]

What we can derive?

Government bureaucrat living in me reminds me “This is too small a sample for survey and nothing can be derived from such piecemeal replies”

 Technically correct

 but,

=>The feeling of privacy, self reliance and ability to share independently-[what so ever any female wants], has distinct value, which is just difficult to appreciate.

=> Social media has potential to affect the traditional mindset of Indian male-a day is not far when the male will be well in following [in all aspects] their daughter/friend/sister/wife/mother.

Let us have hope: how it develops and see...

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