A report in mid-day yesterday brought to light exactly this use of the popular social media tool, Instagram
Social media has its uses. Not least among them is as an investigative tool. A report in mid-day yesterday brought to light exactly this use of the popular social media tool, Instagram. The instant gratification and anonymity that instagram affords its users is a huge reason for its popularity. The report has the case of a 15-year-old student who was sexually assaulted by her classmate after he tricked her into coming to his house.
The case would probably never have been solved because there were no witnesses and the girl would quite likely have never have told anyone about it. The only reason it did come to light was thanks to the boy's communication with the girl on her Instagram chat, which came to her mother's attention. The wise mother, instead of reacting in anger at that moment, pretended to be her daughter and got the boy to incriminate himself. Fortunately, the damning evidence was enough to convince the police who have sent the teenager to a correction home for his heinous crime.
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While social media has plenty of downsides, addiction to it ranking right at the top, its uses cannot be ignored. Around 40 per cent, roughly half the world's population, is now on social media. Most people today conduct their lives through it, allowing a mind-boggling amount of personal details to be available to anyone who is looking for it. The sophistication of the details available is unparalleled: timestamp on entries, information about device used, geolocation of post. To anyone who wants to know, one's every move is available online.
But, while being horrified by this supposed lack of privacy, self-censorship is the answer. Moderate use of social media and being judicious about the personal details one puts out there will go a long way in protecting oneself. Let us not ignore the many benefits of social media, while being always mindful of its potential dangers.
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