Do you believe this picture?
Then look at this:
Do you believe everything you see on the social networking sites you use? Every quote, fact, news, views, picture, video? And is it that anything funny, interesting, seemingly useful, sensational gets from you an instant Like, Share, Favourite, Retweet etc.? I have one word for you. BEWARE.
Beware, because social media is no longer just a tool of building connections. It is a mighty power. Where there is a mighty power, crooks always manage to find a way to abuse it and use it as a tool for their selfish gains.
So is the case with social networking sites. They offer a huge platform for promotion and distribution of facts, information, as well as lies and gossip.
Just today, I saw someone Share a post on Facebook whose very first line proclaimed, “Gandhi used to sleep with girls of aged between 18 to 25. ” The post, of course, is sensational enough to gather quick Likes, Shares and comments (most of them dis-respectful). Nobody bothered to check out if what was being claimed was true or not.
In the recent years, such posts have become much too common. Distorted facts, morphed pictures, doctored videos etc. are readily let loose on the social media platform by people with ulterior motives or those who have too much time at their hands and nothing useful to do. These are lapped up happily by sensation hungry and ‘burning with patriotic fervour’ individuals. And then such posts, true or not, spread like wildfire and become facts for thousands.
Of course, liking or sharing such posts is not a crime, and it would affect you in no way. Although it tears to shred the reputation of someone else. But politically malignant posts aren’t the only evil spreading out on social media. There are spams, scams, and all sorts of dubious advices floating about. And a blind belief in them might lead to a personal loss and injury.
So, BEWARE. Be very aware.
And all it takes is a little googling.
So, next time you come across any information, picture, video etc that looks too striking to you. Take a moment before liking, sharing or tweeting. Just copy some portion of the post (first sentence works in most cases), or the title. Add the words ‘Scam,’ ‘Spam,’ ‘Fraud’ with the selected text, and Google. And you are sure to find the truth about that information or mis-information.
I did exactly this to find out the truth about that post about Gandhiji. And here’s what I found.
Mixture of hoax and facts.
Analyzed below are the facts and truths about Gandhi:
1. This is a misinterpreted fact. Gandhi developed a censorious attitude towards sex in his 30s,…
Read the entire analysis at: http://www.hoaxorfact.com/Politics/untold-truths-about-gandhi.html
Do read the last paragraph of the analysis done by this site!
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How far can a person go to fulfill the dreams of someone else?
Find out in the pages of Dream’s Sake,
a general fiction novel by Jyoti Arora.
For more information and free preview of first chapter click visit: www,jyotiarora.com
