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Thursday 3 November 2011

A Real Life in a Virtual World !!

"When was the last time you logged out??" 
Yes, that's a common gig that many of us avid Facebookers might have faced and got amused with. The way this very social-networking site has invaded our lives, its needless to say that most of us feel the need to "update and stay updated" through Facebook. This very need has made a Facebook application or tab a common in-built feature of smart-phones. Every now and then, we  keep checking if there is anything new happening out there, which we can comfortably call a virtual world. A world in which we have a LIFE  of our own, a separate, distinct one from our biological life on earth yet very much REAL.!

Any social-networking site, including Facebook revolves around the concept of network of contacts aptly termed as "friends". Yet all of us would agree that NOT all of these so-called friends are really friends (not going into the ethical idea of a friend) when we walk out on the street or go to work.Many of us might have experienced the practice of having substantial interaction wih someone on Facebook through comments, likes,posts, pokes and occasional chats while in actual face-to-face scenario, we might have just shared a passing  glance, a cordial greeting or at max a  smile with them

Similarly, we do often witness heated arguments through comments on a particular post that supported or offended so and so. This kind of discussions would really not have been possible between those individuals often from different  professions, social upbringing and different parts of the country or world.  

Often, we 'Like' someone's picture and shower them with loads of praises. But think for a moment. Would you have been really so expressive with your views if you met the person in real circumstances, even if you had genuine liking for their appearance??I guess not always...

Yet another such interesting practice is of using Smileys, available for every possible human emotion. Now c'mon...don't tell me we always have so varied and frequent change of expressions, especially guys !!


Well,this doesn't at all mean we are being fake online or the other person is.But its just like living a totally different life altogether in this virtual world of Facebook. We have our own "avatars" ( a term often used in the digital circuit too...remember Yahoo chat??) on Facebook, equipped with all possible emotions and views on almost everything under the sun. We all do sometimes secretly wish to live a different life that would give us a break from the chains of this mundane world and Facebook to an extent makes it possible.

So much for social-networking !! But are we really being social  in the true sense?? Are we not running the risk of being turned into future beings incapable of using the more conventional "mouth-to-ear" mode of communication?? Only time will tell....


 

9 comments:

  1. Seriously it's a true virtual reality...(this "virtual reality" sounds so oxymoron type)..and in this reality...morons are turning somewhat "socially virtual" or "virtually social"...
    Very true thought...

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  2. And the truth is, more often than not, UGLY !!

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  3. Nice observation. I very much agree with your point of view about the virtual life that technology has brought into our lives. At some point of life, friends stayed connected with phone-calls and meet each other in person. But in this virtual world, even without having ever met in person you can find people sharing their everything with their online friends. Sometimes these also leave them broken hearted when their trust is broken by their so-called online friends. Even best friends of earlier times hardly talk on phones or meet in person thanks to these facebook additions. Reunions have been replaced by facebook groups. These just sometimes makes me feel that although we have come closer thanks to facebook, yet we are so close but so far

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  4. Very well said bro... truly its quite a dicey situation. Nevertheless, its here to stay

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  5. what if, after befriending them in facebook... we treat them and try loving them as friends? or rather as siblings? We shall rule the world then, remember what swamiji told?

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  6. Swamiji had a take on Facebook??!! I didn't know that !
    Jokes apart, that's what i feel too though not as much as 'ruling the world'. Infact, I have several friends, the base for friendship with whom was formed right there in Facebook.What I tried in my post is to just present a generalised view..

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  7. an interesting insight Pro..bt to what extent can we call facebook a 'virtual' world ??especially when real people are having real interactions here..however,it cant be ruled out that our online behaviour often varies from our actual behaviour and nature.

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  8. I mentioned it as virtual in the sense that the cyber-space(which includes facebook) isn't a real world but a virtual represenation of it. :)

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  9. I do enjoy living in this Virtual World...#Truth

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