Hyderabad: With every sensational incident in the city, state, or country turning into a public event via social media forwards, anxiety and panic attacks are being experienced by some sections of the public such as senior citizens and high school students, who find it difficult to cope with these events and the emotions they evoke.
The parent of a high school student says, “I have asked my children not to respond to any social media post. During the time of the general election, a comment which was not in sync with popular opinion had led to arguments, confrontation and even being labelled as anti-national. It was very disturbing not only for them but also for the family.”
There are similar reactions to the protests against the citizenship bills passed in Parliament last week. ‘Why protest’ and ‘what is the problem if there are valid papers’ and other such questions are being asked on the one hand, while on the other there are those whose opinions disfavour these legislations as unconstitutional.
Psychiatrist Dr Naresh Vadlamani calls social media “the modern day nukkad with the exception that the reactions are instant.” He says a story “emerges every day and dies too every day only that it is too fast paced. People need to understand that their emotional behaviour has to be controlled as what is ‘real’ will definitely be known within a few hours. Those who suffer from panic, fear and anxiety do so because they believe (whatever they read) and also react very quickly. Present times demand application of the mind to verify the truth.”
There are those who have underlying fears which play on them in a situation. Dr Keshav Reddy, senior psychiatrist says, “There is a need to build a coping mechanism to deal with social media. This is important for all as it has become a part and parcel of our life. The social media etiquette of verifying news before forwarding has not yet set in. Till then, the vulnerable group must be counselled to not believe everything they see, and check with their family first before believing it.”
The importance of verifying fake news is not understood by all. The very idea of social media circulating fake news is slowly being understood only now.
