Virtual Realities, Real Consequences

Long ago, Aristotle said, "Man is essentially a social animal by nature. He cannot live without society if he does so; he is either beast or God!" Man has to prove his existence in society. He finds various ingredients in society through which he can attain the perfection of life. The day he is born to the day he leaves this planet; he is in society. He can be a slave of his persona, suitably adopted by him and nurtured by his surroundings. Thus, it is a man who makes a man through communication he adopts, the necessary changes he makes and the way he shapes himself as a social person. Therefore, dealing with the question "What is social media?" requires an understanding of what the social is all about. It is in this respect that concept of sociality in society is to be understood. The word 'social' associated with media implies those platforms, which are user-centred and facilitate community activities. It involves a participatory approach during interpersonal communications and also emphasises human collaboration. Indeed, social media can be seen as online facilitator or enhancer of social networks -webs of people that promote connectedness as a social value