Social Media: Boon or Curse?

@ Abhinav, absolutely agree. I was just throwing it out there for discussion. In a way it is also an academic debate because it concerns a change that is irreversible. Not only is social media here to stay, it will continually evolve so more and more people are dependent on it as a means of communication.

While it is a great tool to keep in touch with friends and family across the oceans, I wonder whether it has had the opposite effect for those people who are on your doorstep. Could it be that before Facebook et al, the intensity of our relationships with local friends and family was more intense?

@ Shinjini, yes, what I was kind of hinting at. Is the whole way we use social media platforms make us ironically less sociable?

@ Kinnos - undoubted benefit especially politically. Giving a voice to people who would have previously never been heard.

Social media has not only reduced the geographical distance but also it has given  a platform for everybody to speak their heart out.I agree there are dark sides also but benefits are numerous.

Thats a baseless discussion since now a days most of people are working far away from home and if they do not have these tools, their distance from their friends and family will be amplified.

Do you think that even a few hours of free time is enough to go to where your family lives and meet them? You are a NRI and should understand it pretty nicely yourself.

I agree with Anwin. Social media helps us connect with people from around the world and helps us broaden our horizons so much more than relying only on face-to-face interactions. There are a few pitfalls too --- like if you get obsessed over your stats, constantly checking the number of Twitter followers you have or being obsessed with having a huge number of friends. Overall, though, like with anything else in life, used judiciously, social media rocks! :D