Information through social media is reaching people and influencing them like never before. But it is a double-edged sword.
While there is a positive impact, the negative side is also gaining ground, perhaps dangerously. Undue use and misuse of social media can have disastrous ramifications in the absence of a fool proof cyber police system in the country, sad speakers at a seminar organised by English weekly 'Kosal Horizon' to mark its 5th annual day celebration.
Aditya Birla Group Corporate Communication GM Bibhudutta Mohapatra through a power-point presentation brought home various dimensions of social media, its advantages and disadvantages. He addressed the concerns of the civil society, especially when its outreach is so wide and the impact intensive.
Interaction, live chat, status updates, image as well as video sharing are a few of the major aspects that play a role in the popularity of social media. On the other hand, customers' response, interaction and brand awareness are the other benefits why the companies are using social media in India and across the globe. This has given birth to a new genre of citizen journalists, Mohapatra added.
Research scholar Amjad Badsah in his technical paper 'Global impact of social media' said as to how communication which so far had a top to bottom approaches has now become horizontal after the advent of social media.
RDA Chairman Sarada Prasad Nayak hailed the independent character of Kosal Horizon and congratulated the news weekly for organizing the seminar on a subject of currency.
Kosal Horizon Editor Baidyanath Mishra who presided over the function, said, “Our engagement with social media must continue to save the State, let alone western Odisha, from a digital divide.”
Editor, Surya Prabha Rabi Kanungo, Editor, Utkal Mail Pitabas Mishra, eminent psychologist Dr Kalyani Mishra, Chamber of Commerce president Sunil Kyle, industrialist Sanat Pradhan, educationist Goutam Mishra and social activist Rajendra Panda joined the interaction session.