Harsha Mohan Sarma
(harshasarma183@gmail.com)
Life does not become better merely by chance; rather, it is change that transforms life from good to even better. However, life becomes enjoyable only when we focus on the positive aspects of change. Change may be external or internal. What we do not need is a change that scratches or damages our goodness. What we truly need is change that makes people wiser and nobler.
At present, electronic devices have become the primary source of knowledge acquisition for many people, replacing books. Since the advent of the internet, which provides instant access to a wealth of information, people's interest in reading books has steadily diminished. Instead of reading, analysing, and mastering knowledge through reasoning, people are increasingly drawn toward gaining information easily through audio-visual media. The desire to know the truth is decreasing, and many have started blindly believing whatever they see or hear. Rather than earning knowledge through effort, an environment has emerged where people prefer easy knowledge, like food fed to them with a spoon by others.
Although people connected to social media often appear highly experienced, the noble quality called goodness seems to be disappearing from their minds. As the population grows, societies too continue to expand. Over time, groups of people have moved away from old environments to establish new villages and cities, creating new societies.
People from different backgrounds have blended their traditions and cultural elements, giving birth to a new modern social culture. Whether this transformation is ultimately good or bad can only be judged with time.
In the age of social media, whenever something new spreads rapidly, it sparks fresh debates. Because people can freely express anything on social media without barriers, many undesirable situations arise. Eventually, these issues often turn into personal conflicts. The moment social media becomes a tool for character assassination, it ceases to be a means of acquiring knowledge and instead turns into an instrument that destroys human goodness. The internet has enabled us to learn many valuable things easily, but at the same time, it has also made harmful things equally accessible. Its negative effects have touched people of all ages, but the youth have been the most affected. Only a small number of young people have managed to use the internet productively, while many more are seen misusing it. As a result, traces of aggression and wildness are becoming visible in the behaviour of some individuals. Respect, admiration, and genuine love toward the opposite sex seem to be fading, replaced increasingly by mere physical attraction. Thus, the bad side of internet-driven knowledge is polluting the goodness of the human mind. Relationships once built on respect are now increasingly contaminated by unhealthy thoughts. Experience may have increased, but goodness is fading at the same pace.
Human beings are naturally drawn toward negativity. There is an eternal weakness in human nature toward hearing or doing wrong. Bad news spread on social media travels at the speed of light. People repeatedly consume news of murder, assault, infidelity, and scandals. Constant exposure to such negativity awakens the devil within the human mind, making people restless to imitate such wrongdoings whenever circumstances allow. The inner demon constantly struggles to overpower the goodness residing within.
Nowadays, many people have started saying that from morning till night, newspapers and electronic media offer little worthwhile knowledge. Instead, they are filled mostly with sensational negative news that disturbs the mind. Harmful social news dominates public attention, while constructive news that could help build a healthy society remains scarce.
Although newspaper editorials still provide some thoughtful and informative writing, and a few electronic platforms occasionally broadcast educational or motivational programming, such content often remains unpopular due to poor timing or a lack of audience response. Similarly, some knowledge-seeking groups on social media are sincerely working toward social improvement, but there is a severe shortage of people willing to engage with and support them. Their audiences remain limited, while trivial entertainment attracts hundreds of thousands.
The truth is that many people find it difficult to go deep into any subject. They do not wish to exercise their minds. Entertainment is often preferred over knowledge. Social media has now become one of the greatest tools of entertainment. At any moment, people can upload their photos and videos across various platforms. They share what they eat, where they stay, where they travel, and almost every detail of their lives online. Events and accidents are recorded instantly on mobile phones and uploaded to platforms such as these for public viewing. While this allows us to know social realities in unedited form, it has also severely damaged personal privacy and much of the goodness within society. False propaganda and fake news have destroyed the social reputation of many individuals. In some cases, social media has become a modern tool for settling personal grudges and even blackmail. Filled with falsehood and obscenity, its harmful effects are now touching everyone. If we do not remain cautious, the entire social structure may gradually collapse.
Now, the newly emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI) has created opportunities not only to satisfy human creativity but also human vulgarity. With AI, people are attempting to recreate the appearances of deceased individuals and make them seem alive. Some are even trying to reproduce the exact voices of dead people, with partial success. In this sense, it feels as though we can witness the dignity of our past in living form. However, the misuse of AI has also succeeded in distorting our appearances. Some dishonest-minded individuals are using AI to create obscene images and spread them publicly, tarnishing the reputation of good people. AI has thus created the possibility for innocent individuals to become victims of others' personal vendettas. This indicates a dangerous form of social instability. Excessive dependence on electronic devices is also creating immense psychological pressure on our minds.
To preserve our mental balance, we must move cautiously in the electronic world. We should certainly embrace the technological conveniences brought by the modern world, but equal emphasis must be placed on their proper use. Alongside the digital world, we must also continue to explore the world of books. We must intelligently avoid electronic content or books that can corrupt us morally. The wisdom and depth of understanding that machines cannot provide must still be drawn from books. If we avoid the corrupting elements spread by modernity and immerse ourselves in good books, no one will be able to destroy the goodness living within us. Sudden changes may bring temporary disappointment, but we must never stop looking for the good in them. As once said, "We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."