Using Internet Constructively
By Karim Muhammad Khan
Recently Special Communication Organization (SCO) has operationalized its 4G net service to the far flung areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. It is amazing that the modern telecommunication facilities have brought information revolution even in inaccessible and remote areas which is just a click away and all types of information and pictures with caption are now at one’s finger tips.
Moreover, it is a fruitful platform to share important knowledge, event celebrations, purposeful monitoring and constructive feedback by readers. It is also helpful to have a check on various ongoing projects, governance and management issues by highlighting deficiencies in them followed by suggestions to overcome. Through it tourism can also be promoted by uploading worth seeing and charming places, people and their cultures.
Adding to that, it is vital source for learning to take place through sharing expert opinions, articles, creative ideas, quotation, useful data, best practices, success stories and achievements. Siemens and Downes named it learning theory of connectivism in a digital age as they explain how internet technologies have created new opportunities for people to learn and share information across the World Wide Web and among themselves.
However, this technology has its demerits as well as most of our youths particularly students are now using social media and put comments without thinking its repercussions. Moreover, study and reading habits are now at its lowest ebb owing to usage of internet technology excessively and which is leading to intellectual deficiency and seclusion from being socialized. Our social and family norms and values i.e family interaction with each other and folk story sharing by elders at home are decreasing.
Furthermore, psychological and physical ailment i.e depression, anxiety, weak eyesight and other health related issues are also on the rise among internet technology and social media users. At times, without consent poses and snap shots are uploaded which humiliate individual’s right to privacy as some unethical and vulgar comments are posed by few individuals.
Sometimes, generalized and blanket statements and comments are posed about key state organs, institutions, politicians, media persons and other important figures which not only cause hatred, animosity and security issues but may also expose a bad image of the country to outside world. The dilemma here is that everyone wants to blame each other responsible for certain crisis and issues and in connection a saying goes that everybody wants to change the world but nobody is ready to change himself/herself.
Succinctly, internet technology has reached to the remote and far flung areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and it has brought information revolution across the globe. However, when and how to use this technology matters a lot and shapes the destiny of its users. Its negative and excessive usage may cause multiple social and health related issues. Hence, it is important for all users to be judicious while using this technology and students should be guided to use it constructively.
