Question

To listen well is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well and is essential to all true conversations. Form a group and have a group discussion on the topic.

Social Media - Curse or Boon

Answer 1

Moderator:	You’ve all been given a few minutes to think on your topic for today’s group discussion, which is ‘Social Media – Curse or Boon’.
Sohil:	In today’s day and age, there aren’t many people who are not on social media. It is a platform which helps us to network and to stay connected with our friends and acquaintances. It has made the world smaller and brought people closer together.
Ritesh:	I’m afraid I don’t completely agree with that. We may be able to stay connected with our near and dear ones through social media, but this very platform is also the source of many hacking, internet frauds, identity thefts, etc. Thousands of people are duped through such cyber crimes.
Ravi:	That is true. But it can’t be denied that social media has changed our lives for the better. It is a wonderful tool which connects like-minded individuals/ groups, thus enabling exchange of ideas, transfer of information, etc. For example, virtual classes and webinars won’t be possible without it.
Sita:	I am in agreement with Ravi. Social media can be a boon, but only if it is accessed carefully. As users, we all need to be careful about which sites we visit and with what kind of people we interact. Social media is a complex web of millions of people interfacing at the same time. So, it is not uncommon to come across fraudsters, hackers and the like. If we use social media responsibly, it is definitely a boon.
Pooja:	I wish to add something here too. Apart from interacting, social media is also used for spreading awareness, promoting businesses, and providing assistance for various issues or problems faced by the people. Therefore, it would be unfair to term it as a curse when it does so much for the community.
Sita:	Oh yes! That is so true. Also, the best part about social media is that it all happens real-time, so there is no delay in communication and with the ever-changing community trends, people are able to keep up with the changing times. Whether it’s the government sharing political news or the media sharing live updates, people always have access to the latest happenings through social media.
Nilesh:	That may be the case. But what about when one gets addicted to social media and it begins to affect a person’s social and professional life. With the countless options available to keep us busy on social media, it is not difficult to develop an addiction and to be unable to draw ourselves away from it.
Vikas:	True, I could not agree more with Nilesh. With the endless networking sites, community pages, discussion forums, chat rooms, etc. people may get so attracted to social media that it may disrupt their lives.
Moderator:	We have almost reached the end of the allocated time. Would anyone like to conclude?
Nilesh:	To summarise today’s discussion, social media can be boon or a curse, depending upon how the users access it. If they are responsible in their usage, then social media can definitely be a boon, but carelessness and ignorance while being active on social media can turn it into a curse. Thus, it can be said that social media is a double-edged sword, which requires the users’ discretion at all times.