Lock Code to Social Network - 33336666

3336666 backspace 3333666 backspace 33336666.. This was the activity of one of my neighbors on his phone screen in the mumbai  local train from Marines lines to Dadar. Not that I am interested in peeking in someone's phone but what other choice do you really have specially in the cramped up mumbai local train where on the seat with a capacity of 3 people, 4 are normally "adjusted". Additionally with 3 people standing in front of you in the gap between the 2 rows of seats, there is not many options to look around. 

           Crowded mumbai local train 

Curiosity built up as I watched this stranger typing those "codes" apparently on his phone screen which on further focusing effort on my side turned out to be the passcode or password of whatsapp messenger. I don't know if it's surprising or not but a password for whatsapp messenger.. Must be a big celebrity or a politician or a public figure I thought in my head as he had to use the password feature to covert his whatsapp conversations.. What would be a big public figure be doing in a local mumbai train anyways? I wondered. My assumptions certainly came to a stop when I saw this stranger now moving on to Facebook and using the same password "33336666" !!! Wow that has to be a top secret! But if it is then why would he use those applications in a cramped up mumbai local train where technically everyone around you can look into your phone.. Well social network and mumbai local train has atleast one thing in common.. Getting people together !! 

After watching this stranger at regular intervals scrolling through his Facebook timeline in search of something which apparently he couldn't find during my 16 mins train ride from marine lines to Dadar which is a good 10km distance, I realized the irony of the digital age or appropriately called as social networking age. The irony is that the whole concept of social networks like Facebook, whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, snapchat, linkedin, YouTube ummmm.. (Am I missing any other?) well anyways the whole purpose was the busy life more automated and productive so that more tasks can be performed in a lesser time. Also the purpose of Facebook was to connect with your long lost friends easily. In fact most of this uses of social networking platforms is already being witnessed. A lot of businesses whether home based or traditional are run on messengers like whatsapp viber google hangout and others where sharing pictures of stock or products has become easy and less time consuming. 

Also not to forget many people get in touch with the people they never hoped to come across being in a busy human race. Thanks to social network, it has helped countries economy, have been a big part of societies and developing countries aid. The social rally's and campaigns have helped those in need and also those who suffer post catastrophic events. Social networks have also helped a lot in knowing the world events better outside of the media which can be sometimes misleading.

Amidst all these "good changes" that social networking age has made, there is of course the bad side to this coin as well

Taking example of this stranger next to me, I saw him scrolling through his timeline for no reason whatsoever for atleast 15 mins that I could witness.. Similar to his case there are so many people whose days are incomplete without scrolling through a Facebook timeline which doesn't have any involvement in their lives whatsoever. In fact according to me Facebook timeline has become more of a newspaper feed full of bad news which one will come across if he or she picks up a loca newspaper. Still people have fallen into the habit of scrolling through the timeline for no apparent reason. Social network has also made people lazy, unproductive and vulgar in terms of the fact that people can hide behind the digital screen and do anything. The self is lost and no one seems to be trustworthy as they portray themselves as a different personality on screen and in person. No one wants to get out of their comfort zone and stretch a hand to a stranger to talk to them personally. "Broadcasting messages" has given an excuse to not make personal calls to their family and friends on events of marriage, social gathering, birthdays or even festivals.

I think the major difference is in the understanding the real application of social network and not the way most people think of it. People who understand the real application of social network has created assets using social network to their advantage.. Take example of this "entrepreneurship" age and the start ups that use this networks to their advantage and make it big. In fact mark zukerberg himself makes himself a lot of money and we as users just use Facebook and orher social network as a consumer. If all every individual can do is change their mindset from being a consumer mentality to business mentality and learn how to use these social networking platforms for their own business then it will make a huge difference in this generation and a sunstantial difference in the generations to come. I hope we don't see a future generation with large glasses, staring at this digital screen, sitting on a couch , obese with no interaction with the outside world. The future seems challenging for the ones who are controlled by technology instead of the technology being controlled by oneself. 

Logout from your digital circle and login into a more human circle full of interactions and personal touch.

PS 33336666 is a lousy password!! 

                 Mumbai local train