About the positive role of social media during the Covid-19 pandemic

@the_news_21

Mumbai: We always speak about the negative impact of social media however in this Corona pandemic Social media has seen a sharp increase in its usages due to social distancing measures encouraged by the government. We have seen its Positive side in almost every sector such as Education, Mental Health, Female Safety apps, online business, networking learning and other sectors.

The term social media generally refers to modern communication means such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, etc. Social media websites and applications allow us to develop a strong communication platform to exchange useful information with other people across the globe.

There are various sectors where people can utilize to promote their business, education, consultation, networking and so on via social media, such as –

Education – After lockdown, schools closed and E learning can show the light of education for students all over the world. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched e-content for various subjects on DIKSHA app. Many private and public institutions can advance and start e-learning educational courses for the students.

Mental Health – In this lockdown many more people had faced the mental depression problems however again social media saved them too by attending inspiring online counseling services, mental online health programs and Tele-therapy etc.

Tele-therapy is mental health counseling over the phone or the online delivery of speech, occupational and mental health therapy services via live video conferencing. Instead of sitting in the same room, students and therapists interact via live video conferencing.

Women’s safety apps for safety – In this pandemic, many female doctors and health care workers tirelessly work to ensure the female safety in the country has become more important. With the help of technology they can now download a simple safety app on mobile to ensure they are informing the right people. This app helps by sending an emergency alert to their family, police, even without internet connection. Some allow geo-tagging places as safe or unsafe to inform safety improvements.

These apps included –

 •Raksha,

 •Himmat,

 •Safetipin,

 •Women Safety,

 •Smart 24×7,

 •Share2Safety, and

 •bSafe

Online business– In this pandemic, many businesses have closed their doors.

Due to social media Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter etc many NGOs are able to raise funds for people who are financially impacted by lockdown for example – street vendors, daily wages workers, migrant workers, people from slum areas etc. Because of websites, personal blogs, social media accounts, people still have options for online business.

During pandemic, from small businesses to some of the biggest companies across the globe are using social media to spread the word about their brands, products, and services.

Misinformation/Fake news -Social media has also contributed to the spread of misinformation. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has created a fact checking unit in order to identify the fake news, misinformation related to the government and its policies circulating on various social media platforms. The fact check unit employees hired on contract to monitor platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to flag news that is fake.

During lockdown, people are using social media platforms to gain information about COVID-19 and related things.  “Social tools are not just about giving people a voice, however giving them a way to collaborate, contribute and connect.-By Adv Mrs Pranita A Deshpande

The author can be contacted at – advpranita@gmail.com