Monday 15 August 2016

The Good, Bad and the Ugly conversations ..

One thing that keeps me busy these days is the whatsapp app in my phone. I have talked about it in many of my posts. Still I keep repeating it because it has become so much part of my daily routine to send and receive messages in it. What once appeared as a boon to get connected with long lost friends and extended family, looks like a bane these days!

Sit across the globe, open the app, type the words of your choice; you can both make or break a day for the other person. Any quick question, you ask, you get instant answers; good things to share, the joy is doubled with lots of encouragement; bad things - the mood gets better with words of advice and concern. So far so good. But there is flip side as well! Were we not taught by the teachers at school to just read everything once before we submit our final answers? How many times has that been stressed? In reality how many follow that?  Before assuming anything, it is also important to understand that there is also something called asking. To err is human, it just takes few seconds to ask what was the meaning or why was something done? Who does it these days? I am managing 5 -6 whats app group as admin. Sometimes I wonder if managing school  kids is easier, for I know how to handle kids much better than the egoistic adults.

Some messages in whatsapp or any social media for that matter is meant to provoke others, no am not talking of all secular vs. communal ones. I am talking of the egoistic adults who try to do a one way communication more like a broadcast - In a TV or radio, you can only hear /see the news , you have the option to either listen or just change the channel. There are many silent ones in the group who do that. But there are few others who are least interested in such useless communications, and who respond back. When you have the right to speak out, be prepared to listen as well. I am reminded of the three monkeys - no see, no hear, no speak. What if the monkey closes ears,eyes, mouth and continues to write some utter nonsense, not willing to take any feedback! This happens many times. There are some who get pleasure in writing some real nasty stuff meant to provoke other members in the group, initiate a debate and prove a point or two! Social media groups these days are becoming either redundant or the active ones have some problematic people like I mentioned before.

When a group is formed initially, everyone gets so excited that they share all good things. It doesn't take much of a time in each group to get a person who spoils the mood of the entire group. A recent incident made me feel that I as an admin should have removed a person from the group long back to keep the spirit of the group going! That was a definite miss on my part! For I saw only the good even when the conversations started turning bad; But I never expected it to turn so ugly that the person literally abused many others in the group. Technology alone cannot make people join together, some are best left alone! holds true even for all social media channels. You  just cannot be friends of some people no matter how hard you try! 

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