DNA Exclusive: Is social media changing our personality and way of thinking?

New Delhi: We all use social media platforms like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp as we don’t pay for his or her providers. We solely pay for web knowledge. However, you can be shocked to know that these social media web sites at the moment are controlling your likes, dislikes, and your behaviour.  For these social media firms, we’re like a product and they’re just about dictating our selections. Not solely this, they’re even making an attempt to mould our ideas to vote in favour of a specific political get together throughout elections. 

Sounding unusual? But that is the fact that almost all of us aren’t conscious of. The DNA evaluation will clarify to you ways firms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have began interfering with the political system of nations. These firms have develop into so highly effective that they will even topple an elected authorities in a rustic by spreading pretend information, thereby, creating pretend anger amongst folks towards the ruling dispensation. 

The most up-to-date instance of the identical could be witnessed within the violent protests towards the Citizenship Law earlier this 12 months in India. We typically suppose that Google is a search engine and Facebook is a medium to attach with pals. If you suppose so, the DNA report will change your opinion. 

Of late, a debate the world over is being heard that Facebook and Twitter are working in favor of a specific get together or ideology? Earlier this month, the Indian Parliament’s standing committee summoned Facebook India’s head Ajit Mohan and a few MPs requested many questions and sought clarification from him. Here are some startling information that may shock you. 

Just earlier than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Facebook deleted about 700 pages of the Congress, however their whole variety of followers was mere round 2 lakhs. It additionally eliminated 15 pages supporting BJP, however the variety of followers on these pages was near 2.6 million.

Although India is searching for assist from some exterior businesses for examine information posted on Facebook, the officers working there are additionally linked to a specific ideology and a few of these are related to political events.

The Fact Checkers for Facebook themselves have unfold pretend information many occasions. Prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a hearsay about new airports within the nation was unfold by Facebook’s Fact Checker. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then mentioned that 35 airports have been constructed within the final Four years, however Facebook’s Fact Check web site termed it a false declare and mentioned that solely 7 new airports have been constructed. The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation needed to difficulty a press release to make clear it. 

It has additionally seen that Facebook doesn’t delete hate speeches of the leaders of a specific ideology regardless of repeated requests. These speeches belong to Asaduddin Owaisi and Kanhaiya Kumar. Some MPs sought solutions to those allegations from Facebook officers however their responses are but to come back.

Startling revelations have additionally been made concerning the high officers related to Facebook India. The info submitted earlier than the assembly of the standing committee of Parliament are:  

1. Ajit Mohan, MD, Facebook India, labored with the Planning Commission in the course of the UPA authorities. He was additionally related to the Ministry of Urban Development in the course of the UPA regime. Ajit Mohan turned the MD of Facebook simply earlier than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

2. Another Facebook official, Siddharth Mazumdar, heads the general public coverage workforce. Siddharth is alleged to be very near Congress get together’s interim president Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel.

3. Kavita KK of Facebook India has additionally labored with an opposition get together’s MP from 2015 to 2017.

4. Manish Khanduri has been the information partnership head of Facebook. He left Facebook earlier than the 2019 Lok Sabha election and contested from Garhwal Lok Sabha seat of Uttarakhand on the Congress ticket.

These are the lesser-known information related to Facebook India, however the info that this social media platform is altering our character and the mind-set could additional shock you. Some former workers of Google, Facebook, and Twitter understood to have said that what they’d created has now develop into one thing else.

Based on their statements, a documentary has additionally been made. They opine that Internet firms regulate you on a regular basis. They report each knowledge associated to you and even find out about your temper. Not solely this, however in addition they preserve a report of what’s going on in your private life and which individuals you meet.

After understanding these private particulars, they will attempt to change your behaviour additionally. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have constructed massive knowledge facilities to maintain the data of hundreds of thousands of individuals by way of Artificial Intelligence.

The world is step by step changing into conscious of those developments. In a shock determination in the present day, the Thailand authorities ordered to provoke authorized motion towards Google and Facebook. Earlier, a Thailand courtroom ordered the elimination of 3000 content material on Facebook and Youtube. The content material that included Fake News and pornographic materials was being unfold apparently to vary the pondering of individuals. 

We really feel that we’re making choices on our personal, however truly, these choices are imposed on our minds resulting from social media. Cyber ​​consultants say that social media posts needs to be shared very thoughtfully.

The three most important objectives of any social media firm are engagement, underneath which individuals get used to it. Then comes progress, through which folks develop into the medium for its enlargement as they kind a community with their pals. The most necessary is Revenue that’s earned by way of commercials that we noticed. At this stage, Facebook utterly takes management of your conduct. 

People the world over are at the moment following social distancing as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, however they’re getting nearer to one another on social media. Facebook has emerged as probably the most favourite social media platform for the folks in India with over 35 crore customers. 

Since India has the very best variety of Facebook customers on the earth, it’s estimated that these numbers will improve to 45 crores by 2023. 

WhatsApp is the second most most popular social media platform in India after Facebook with greater than 30 crore customers, whereas Instagram is at the moment utilized by about 10 crore folks, in keeping with DataReportal.