- Whether it is the pandemic aftereffects like the widespread lack of opportunities or a sheer lackadaisical approach towards life in general, the younger generation is seeking unhelpful avenues to explore the invisible world. The ubiquitous virtual or digital world has spawned hitherto unheard-of social media platforms to people of different ages willing to get sucked into the labyrinth without ever realizing the possible harmful consequences. As the saying goes, all novel inventions emerge with inherent merits and demerits, the digital world too has its advantages as well as disadvantages.
PC: AKIN ÜNVER
- It is largely up to the individuals to choose how best it suits them before committing to any medium, including the digital. Further, young minds also tend to be easily swayed away by bigotry, jingoism, nationalistic fervor, and hate-mongering on communal lines without realizing the larger injury such unworthy choices inflict on the nation’s general well-being. People in the know would be aware of the Bulli Bai case whose sole mission by the perpetrators was to shame, scare, and dehumanise more than 100 Muslim women concertedly and brazenly.
- As the issue gained national importance, the law enforcement agencies swung into action quickly. Reports mention that within days Mumbai cyber police has made arrests spread from Bengaluru to Rudrapur and Kotdwar. Most notably, all the accused identified with the case are students causing yet another round of shock and dismay. A male engineering student, a female 12th standard pass preparing for engineering entrance exams, and a male BSc student. The moot point to ponder over here is what could have brought them all together to perpetrate such a shameful act in the first place.
PC: Economic Times
- Even if it turns out the students were prodded by others, that will not invalidate conversations the case has set off about the levels of poison and hate spreading through some of India’s young today. Of course, the young do have plenty to be distressed and even feel angry about the way things have panned out of late. Acute disruptions in seeking education and subsequent lack of opportunities to secure jobs on top of serious familial setbacks during the pandemic have created havoc. The pandemic has pushed many deeper into thriving online echo chambers that insist the main source of both their individual suffering and society’s general ills is a definable group, an Other.
- Mind you, polarisation coaxed by technology and particularly social media can be more lethal than any physical ghettoization, and this remains true across the world. Any number of toxic venom spewing jingoists attempting to influence young minds as architects of a better future by advocating hate-mongering on religious grounds should be awakened from their stupor. Young Indians deprived of opportunities may find purposes only in religious or other forms of hatred, leading to more mob violence online and offline. Averting this dystopia requires work on multiple fronts. What are they? Tough policing of hate crimes, effective social media regulations, politics staying away from religious misadventures, and of course, jobs, more jobs, and some more jobs should help.
