It might have been a boon to ‘netizens’ in its initial years of glory, but social networking sites have come a long way since then. With rising number of cases where such sites are being misused, they have now turned into a rather unsafe zone, thereby increasing vulnerability of its users.
Be it the latest case of the 17-year-old girl from Rohini who was extorted by her Facebook friend or a baby being sold via the same site, these social networking sites are proving to be a new breeding ground for crime. Social commentators are of the view that it is the unawareness amongst the people about the consequences of indiscriminate use of such websites.
"Most of the people are not aware how gradually these sites intrude into their privacy. And it is the students who get most lured by it. First they demand personal information, then pictures, and then it graduates to videos and file sharing. The key is to use it, but in a limited way," said Jyoti Bose, principal of Springdale Public School, Dhaula Kuan.
If the computers were blamed earlier, now the high-tech mobile phones are the new culprit.
"Mobile phone is the problem to everything. The fact that these websites have penetrated through everything is the reason why people involuntarily start trusting and relying on
them," said Tamanna Goswami, a counsellor.
“The frequency of logging in also increases the dependency on them. People become inquisitive and find it difficult to resist. The whole world of the internet is now open to them on the go. Even while traveling, they can use the Facebook,” she added.
The Facebook, however, is important to many. Suchayan Mandal, a media professional, does not refuse to admit that he is an avid user of the site. "It helps me connect with the people whom I am not in touch with. What is the harm in using it, if
I am not befriending any unknown person,"