Social Media is a double-edge sword having both positive and negative implications; however, one cannot learn its effects and benefits through straight jacket. Other societies have already defined it benefits but Pakistani society did not.
Social Policy & Development Centre, Karachi, Managing Director, Prof Dr Khalida Ghaus said this while she was addressing the meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi Chapter the other day which was presided over by Justice (r) Haziqel Khairi at a local hall.
“We should see how the other societies responded to the challenge of social media and do the same keeping in view our values and take account of its effects on our society. There are many benefits of social media such as on-line banking, on-line courses and on-line researches. But we are not taking advantages of such facilities adequately,” she said. “We are a segmented society which is being exposed daily on social media yielding bad effects on our society.”
She said several elements were responsible for the segmentation of our society which needs to be addressed. “Social media has not only affected our life style but also out social relationship as young people took influence from their peers but not their families. Our youths open up themselves not in family but outside among their friends and others. It is a modern technology which is exposing itself on social media. It has many effects on every society. But we didn’t take as a nation concrete step to avoid these effects and made no advancement in acquiring its constructive benefits,” she added.
“We have politicised the social media instead of making it a positive tool for our youth to obtain modern knowledge. It might be so because the nation has no clear cut direction. But we have to maintain the identity of our nation and for that purpose ‘expression of thought’ is a must as we could not deprive our youth to express their ideas and views,” she added .
Hamdard Foundation Pakistan President Sadia Rashid said that the information technology was very important for the rapid progress of the nation and that was why Hakim Said had established the institute of information technology in Hamdad University. “Information technology is an important part of modern technology. But there is a vast difference between western societies and our society. Keeping in view the difference, we should let our youth enter the world of information technology to acquire modern technology after having imbibed Islamic knowledge, values, positive and constructive thoughts,” she added.
Naushaba Khalil said: “Our society is not ready for social media which has been introduced to it all of sudden due to pressure of globalisation. A new body on national level should be formed to tackle its bad effects afflicting our society.”
Dr Abubakar Sheikh was of the view that they have to accept the globalisation according to its requirements and not to react like the people of 16th century’s England who objected the introduction of rail train and said that buffaloes would run off roads hearing of sound of rail engine. Anwar Aziz Jakartawalla, Prof Kafeel Ahmed, Ms Shamim Kazmi and Dr Rizwana Ansari also spoke.
Shura in a unanimous resolution condoled the deaths of Abdul Sattar Edhi, Amjad Sabri, Aga Nasir, Maqbool Hasan Kazmi Advocate and Prof Dr Aslam Farakhi.
