latest social networking applications like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, line, We Chat, G talk, Skype and blogs have become an ‘Addiction’ for the city college-goers availed with the wi-fi facilities especially during their lecture classes. Despite being an obsession, it is a healthy habit for most of the Gen-Y students with few contradicting the constructive essence.
Explaining the positive role of social networking, Manish Kumar Shukla, a Master of Arts (MA) Mass Communication student of Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) said, “Discussing a subject with the classmates via Whats App is quite convenient as it does not interrupt the words of our lecturer. FB is not restricted to chatting. Infact, it serves as a tool of ‘Infotainment’ in this New Media Communication Era.”
“We cannot charge social networking usage as a menace since it is has become an integral part of our life. Nowadays, it is a ‘Safe Addiction’ for academic life,” a sixth semester student of BA (Honours) llB (Honours) at National University of Study and Research in law (NUSRl) said.
Adding further the law cradle student said, “It is fun playing games for many of my course mates when a teacher elaborates a topic in a boring manner.”
“Using Twitter and FB is always beneficial for me in the class as it helps me clarify a doubt related to my specific subject’s lecture,” said M Kumar, a first year student of Post Graduate Diploma in Management Information Technology at Xavier Institute of Social Service.
Claiming it a bad habit, Birsa Agricultural University‘s undergraduate student Abhishek Kumar said, “Though my friends use social networking and Short Message Service applications for both study and gossiping purpose during class lectures but I personally regard it as a troublemaker.”
Quite similar to Kumar’s opinion was Shilpi Kumari’s view. Shilpi, who is pursuing her under graduation in Arts at Ranchi Women’s College is not techno-savvy but often observes her classmates using such applications. She said, “My classmates usually chat with their friends on social networking sites like FB and Twitter just for fun. I have never seen them conversing on online mode for the sake of studies especially when a lecture class is going on.”