Day 61 – Q 5.How are global IT giants like Google and Facebook affecting the lives of common Indians? Illustrate.

5. How are global IT giants like Google and Facebook affecting the lives of common Indians? Illustrate.  

गूगल और फेसबुक जैसे वैश्विक आईटी दिग्गज आम भारतीयों के जीवन को कैसे प्रभावित कर रहे हैं? उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करें।

Introduction:

Internet and IT sector has revolutionised the life of common people. Global IT giants like Google and Facebook affecting the lives of common Indians have a larger role to play and have affected life common people in various ways.

Body

• Giving expression to one’s thought – There was a time when one had to submit his/her article and, if lucky, wait for Sunday edition of newspapers to print it. Now anyone can anytime express his/her view online. Common man can become director, actor and producer of online programs on platforms like YouTube. 
• Connecting with people – for cultural, economic, political reason has become easy. Networking has helped common people in seeking jobs, advertisement etc.
• Tools like Google translator has helped in increasing interaction among people. 
• Gender sensitization through online movements and campaigns like #Metoo movement, “Beti Bacao, Beti Padhao” Andolan. 
• E-learning is revolutionizing education sector. Students can self-learn from the online platforms.  
• E-commerce – has increased choices of goods and services for common man. 
• E- governance – has been made possible due to easy access of internet, facilitated by some IT giants. 

However, there have been many negative impacts as well – 

• Privacy of people is constantly under threat. It was alleged in Cambridge Analytica case that data of common people were collected from Facebook – a social media platform, to do ‘election engineering’.  
• There is a constant threat of malware attack and damage to the devices. 
• Fake news emanating from IT giants platforms has affected the moral compass of common man. It also leans to illegal and immoral activities like mob lynching.  
• Cyber bullying and trolling has affected many especially women. 
• Internet addiction, game addiction etc had caused damage among young generation. Certain online game like ‘Blue Whale’ has caused death of youths. 
• Tendency of Individualism, isolation, depression etc are increasing. 

Conclusion

Need of the hour is create awareness among masses to use these platforms like wisely to tap maximum benefits from them. Self-regulations from the side of IT Giants to detect and remove fake news to content that may cause violence must be taken up. Platform like Facebook and WhatsApp has taken steps in this direction, but more pro-action steps are requires to serve the interest of common man.