FACEBOOK YOU AND HIM

May 2013 I had been to India to attend the marriage of my brother’s daughter. It was a festive ambiance in the house. Relatives had arrived few days earlier to spend more time with their near and dear ones. Few friends of my niece had also come to stay. The day I reached my village, my niece introduced me to her friend. She was Khusboo (Fragrance), a lively, friendly, ever smiling girl. She was quick on being friendly. In the evening the youngsters had decided to go out for a walk in the meadows. She came up to me and asked “Would you join us?”.  Few moments later as we walked, groups were formed by natural selection. Except few, most of them were new to each other, , Khusboo was walking with me. She kept on asking me questions to quench her curiosity; how often do you visit this village? Do you like village life? How is life in Saudi Arabia? Do you like dancing? Are you going to dance during the music party? I replied coolly and calmly. Her next question was “When will you visit next time?” I told here, after six months but you can get in touch with me through facebook; don’t you have a facebook account? I asked her.  To my surprise her reply turned out to be “NO”.  

A girl in my neighborhood too did not have it, and to date also, she does not have it. She was a student then, she is a mother now. Few ladies and girls whom I know when asked said “we prefer to stay away from it”. Perhaps they do not want to invite troubles.

On the other hand technological advancement has made life fast. Computer and internet have transgressed into every corner of our life. Resources like water, power, shelter have become scare and so is the case with time. Many of us find it difficult to spare time for a one on one talk. Things have started switching from real to virtual. Socializing too has gone virtual to a larger extent. Facebook is one such virtual socializing platform on which people with mala fide intention mingle with people of bona fide intention. 

As I write this article (Sep 04, 2013 05.00 pm), I am simultaneously watching a news channel which reports how a boy (him) met a girl on the facebook, developed intimate relations and fell in love. The boy expressed his desired to meet her. He called her at a hotel where the boy committed a gang rape with the help of his friends.

There are many fake accounts on the facebook, the fake account holder (him) intends to take revenge. He operates it in the name of a girl or a lady, he is aware of. He manipulates her bio-data and befriends a boy. The friendship gets more intimate, scales new heights and transforms into love. Further the trickster asks the boy to come to her house and talk to her parents about their marriage. When the boy reaches the girl’s house he finds that his girlfriend is a married lady and doesn't operate a facebook account. The poor guy needs to be lucky to escape being manhandled by the girl’s family.

Few days back I received a message saying somebody (him) hacked his facebook account and was posting indecent photos and videos. The smartness of the act was the account holder could not see these posting but all his friends could. 

Every person likes expressing oneself, likes being congratulated, likes being liked but emotional, physical or informative exposure calls for caution. Formerly we were threatened by underworld and cyber-world has added up.