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Social Media and the new normal

Social Media A Curse Or Boon

Before we take a plunge into this topic and start comparing today with old times I want to stop you from doing it. It is absolutely wrong to compare the social media before and now. The only thing we have to focus after this pandemic is a better future. So now lets have a look at our day to see the penetration of social media in our lives.

How we begin our days

I start my day with yoga and meditation mostly following the “Live” on Facebook, Instagram or Youtube. Social media has made us customers the king. I can choose from the best of the bests. Even Spiritual leaders like Sadh Guru, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Baba Ramdev are accessible for all of us. Or I can just check on Youtube or any other app for videos on morning routine. If I don’t feel like watching I catch one of the Pod casts by Anthony Robbins, Jenna butcher etc. It so happens that my mom is also occupied watching our religious gurus “Live” during that time.

As the day goes by I end up checking out “good food” pictures on Instagram or Pinterest taking me to the food blogs or websites or Youtube channel . With less than half the skill and very little creativity I still manage to cook the delicious dish from scratch. Next task is to get good food pictures and spend another hour clicking more of its pictures. Well this applies not just to food pictures but invariable everything under the roof.

Enter into the world of sharing and caring on social media

Now comes the meticulous job of carefully choosing the best. Carefully because we have to ensure the phone memory is cleared of all the unworthy pictures. Finally share across all the 100 groups on Whatsapp where I wait for everyone to reply with compliments and encouragement. Then I share it on Viewbug or Shutterbay. As the day goes by I find the ultimate masterclass for me and attend it on one of the webinar links. I never missed any of the masterclasses. Some of them are even downloaded for revision. Be it Zoom call, Udemy course or Facebook session I joined them all.

While you enjoy my story, read here how Gurjeet from www.prismaroundgurjeet.com has been innovatively enjoying the benefits of Social Media. She call it the super hero of her life.

Social Media in the new normal

With all the depressing COVID numbers on tv channels, I decide to skip tv and jump to Netflix or Amazon prime. My aim is to enjoy a movie quietly with my food. It is as if dinner or sometimes even lunch can’t find its way to my mouth without screen . Just then the healthify apps start blaring messages to wash hands and drink water.

Everyone is infected

My 2.5-year-old son comes running to unlock the Ipad because it was time for his poopoo. More importantly he wanted to watch Diana, Steve and Blippi on YouTube. Can’t blame him I myself have to carry my phone while I do the important job. This is not all he has to on his Ipad. He plays and watches all the animal videos and rhymes too. Somehow, YouTube is his lifeline to everything in the now. He once saw us elders watching reviews of a vacuum robot and now it’s his favourite thing. He loves to see all types of gadgets online.

Why just us everyone around the world is using social media. Check out how Ujjwal from www.mywordsmywisdom.com has turned the depressing lock down’s – profitable and enjoyable using social media.

Emotions and our feelings

Well now that we know living without social media is impossible below are the two extreme viewpoints about social media. You might feel “oh yes!absolutely” for the views below and it might even happen that you may agree to both the views. Please don’t feel lost just keep a note of the things. Identify where your heart feels heavy or choked and sinks or where you feel a respite and your mind agrees to it. Try to avoid everything that makes you feel upset, sad or heavy.

Oh wait! I have to check Twitter immediately there seems to be a new update on the vaccine being developed by Russia. I have got to find out everything. Just take a break and catch up in a few minutes, oops I meant hours.

Fun fact

We celebrated social media day on June 30th 2020. It is because of social media, I know there is at least one day to celebrate everyday of the year.

Social Media Day

Social Media A Curse

  1. Acceptance – The want for approval from the new online social media family for everything from a photo like to comments and compliments is super dangerous and we are unknowingly handing over ourselves to unwanted scrutiny from our loved ones and most of the times from strangers.
  2. Negative Reaction – All things happening in the social media demands us to react with negative emotions of hate, anger, sadness, helplessness, fear of the known and unknown, doubt on every body and their intention
  3. Overwhelming Confusion of too many – everything available on social media is available in the measure of quadrupled and above. Mind it, it is no joke if we look for a travel destination we find a hundred pictures on Instagram of the same Mountain with different people and we are pulled to each one of it not just for the photography skills but it seems like all of them have something new and different which we might want.
  4. Time consumer and hypnotic – this is the feeling I have everytime when I look at the watch after spending some time on social media platforms. I realise I have spent an four already and it is just a waste of time so I am trying to close the app and just the I scroll a new picture which definitely is want I was looking for a few days back. Then again I look at my watch and feel screwed as another hour and half passed by.
  5. Urgency and Godliness to be there all the time – With all-day high-speed internet everyone wants me to be available for their webinar, zoom call, skype video call, Live’s all the time. And not just that everything has to happen now or otherwise something really bad could happen as if there was something worse than what we are facing now.
  6. Incessant notifications – the ones controlling my life these days are these notifications which are as tiny as 5 pixels but they get my full attention immediately with a promise to take me to a new world everytime. And if you have the pop-ups which has permission over other application oh you can’t even save yourself saying you missed the call, message or chat invite

If all this is too much then read this amazing article by Akanksha from www.mominprocess.com and decide for yourself if is it time to quit social media.

Social media A Boon

  1. Godly Access – access to information all the time, free of cost(internet charges applied), to everyone in this world. Access to people via Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram. Even God would want this kind of access. It’s kind of a magic wand. I feel confident and I can do anything from cooking to sewing a fancy dress with the help of information available to me. At the same time I can keep company to my mother who is alone in a different country. Read here how Surbhi from www.surbhiprapanna.com too believes that there is good things explore on the social media platform.
  2. Connectedness – I just mentioned above how I am in touch with my mom. Not just that I want to have all the updates. Updates from latest movies, gadget release, blog topics, to friends and ex-colleagues latest hobby and what is new heath or diet trend. I want to know everything and share with everyone. It is only possible to have this inflow and outflow of latest information with the social media. I am going to be forever grateful for this.
  3. Companionship – Just when I started to feel low and away from home I have found amazing groups of friends online. They motivate me to always remember our culture, take time for self-love, be myself and express, just support me in every possible way. It is only social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that could have got this loneliness feeling away.
  4. Social distancing – This probably should have been the first point. In this COVID era, social media is a boon for all of us otherwise we would be forced to come out of our houses and break the social distancing rule which was critical in controlling the situation.
  5. Superfast ‘sabse tez’ News – the network of social media has grown so deep that even before news channel can claim they were the first one to show news, it’s spread in all groups. And if anyone missed it they would get to know about it on the daily video call with family members
  6. Loads of gossip – Everyone loves gossip. And it’s by far the best time to lighten up the mood in the world. If you have a group of friends or family member with whom you can talk then make use. Have fun and enjoy without harm to anyone as this is the best entertainment for all of us.
  7. Infinite learning – The best things happened due to this pandemic is possibilities of learning on social media. Here every expert on the globe comes to teach and gives us valuable lessons which we were looking for since ages. Starting from Cooking lessons, fitness tips, yoga sessions, meditation with the world, school learning, toddler pre-schooling, making useful things out of waste, becoming financially aware, grateful, and the list goes on and on. All this for free.

Well, all that said what is your opinion of Social Media in this COVID era?

Just before I sign off, I wang to share what my friend Swarnali from www.thesaffronstoryteller.com says about social media, connect, communicate and contemplate.

Share your feelings, comments, views below. You will be surprised how quickly you can make friends with me and all my audience by just commenting and engaging with us.

Social media is good

I am available on all social media in case you want to be friends 👍

Love n hugs, be happy be cheerful! Urvashi

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By Urvashi

A workaholic turned mummaholic. In search of a sacred space and power to spread happiness and positivity. Write to me at damuru516@gmail.com

18 replies on “Social Media and the new normal”

Thanks Mayuri for taking time and reading my post. I am planning to add a section on how to best utilise social media soon. Please do come back and check updates

Well said social media certainly is mix of curse and boon, and it all depends on how we utlise it. But infinite learning is one positive point i had loved about social media as we have not witnessed this loads of information when we grew up.

So true. I had never imagined to learn from some of the teachers living on the other side of the globe but it was made possible in this lock down.

Absolutely Cindy. All that matters is being positive Nd strong. no matter how hard the situation is.

Some important facts of social media, it has definitely taken a troll on our life, even on the kids. Like the way you have written down the boons and the curse ! Everything has its own positives and negatives

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