I Am on Social Media; Therefore, I Exist!

Ashim Kumar Paul

The title of my write-up has actually got inspiration from the famous proposition of the French philosopher, Rene Descartes, “Je pense, donc je suis” which, in English, we know as “I think, therefore I am”. This popular phrase implies that Descartes was trying to tell us: "We cannot doubt our existence when we doubt". We think, therefore we exist. Although the philosophical thought might not essentially be in alignment with the aim of my write-up, I have rather attempted to radicalize the fundamental essence to show the existential crisis on the social media.

Although celebrating birthday means we are getting older and closer to death, our dear and near ones come and wish us to live longer, instead. An irony, isn’t it? However, a couple of days ago, my birthday was gone. After signing up to the popular social media, Facebook, every year, when the clock strikes 12 amsignifying my birthday, my facebook wall and messenger start being inundated with the birthday wishes from my known and dear persons as well as from those who are just connected with me in virtual world but unknown in reality. Their wishes really rejuvenated me to think over the sweetness of life and start afresh.

Nonetheless, unlike other years, this time, the birthday came to me as a new flavor and message. Since 23rd May, I had deactivated my Facebook account for personal reasons although the Messenger option was open for communication. During the deactivation phase, my birthday turned up and the deactivation of my Facebook wall had a great impact on getting my birthday wishes virtually. This year, no birthday wishes could reach me via Facebook thanks to its deactivation. Though I kept the Messenger app open in which those who wished me on the occasion of my birthday in other years could send me birthday wishes, the inbox remained blank instead.Even my mobile phone inbox would be empty unless two of my friends sent their wishes via mobile phone. Does this imply that out of social media means out of mind? This experience of mine might, somehow, flabbergastthose who either have paralleled the real life with the virtual worldorenjoy socialisingin the virtual world or both of them.

As already said, this birthday has come up with a new message for me. I could understand that in the virtual world, there is hardly anyone outside your family sphere who could remember your birthday unless and until you are a famous or influential personality. Actually, in most cases, the netizens could remember and start wishing one’s birthday when the notification of Facebook alerts. Then, a new spell of thought for birthday wish follows involving whether the person does really matter to them. When the criterion matches, the birthday wish ensues finally.

Not only does it happen to the case of birthday wishes, it happens to everything around our day-to-day activities and achievements.Suppose, you have got a new job or a promotion in your job and post it on the social media like Facebook, the clicks from your friend list to react on your achievement and comments to wish you will proceed accordingly. In this regard, I can share two more of my experiences. About six years ago, when I got the appointment letter from the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh as an Assistant Director during my service to a private bank, I did not post it on Facebook. As a result, only the members of my family and relatives and some close acquaintances knew it. However, one day, in the UGC office, I happened to meet one of my seniors who isa university teacher and from my locality. He came to make his foreign degree certificate equivalent. He was surprised to see methere as he knew I was still in banking sector. Conversely, when the result of BCS exam came out andin the Facebook, I posted the news that I have been selected, a plethora of greetings and wishes followed. As a result, this time, both the circles of my acquaintances and unfamiliar individuals connected with my Facebook could know that I joined BCS job. Therefore, similar to getting birthday wishes, it will not be exaggerated to say that unless you post your achievements, your success will not be recognized.

Similarly, the social media have hooked our life so tightly that the days of living and socialising in regular and close physical proximity to friends and family have long since passed for many people. Instead of meeting and talking in person, the trends of sharing, greeting and even mourning over the death of dear ones via social media have almost been on the rise.Sitting beside, we tend to communicate via social media by clicking, commenting or sharing posts rather than uttering words from mouth. More surprisingly, these days, there are many people who might not remember the birthday of the persons in their own community or do not greet the achievements of their community members but remain in the hurry to wish those individuals who are not from their own professional community but remain in the powerful positions in other offices and society. Even if the members of same community or professional sphere are greeted in the social media for their achievements or on the occasion of their special days in life, their position and influence in the community or profession are mostly prioritized. This trend might be compared to an existential crisis which has afflicted even the most astute and aware punter on social media.

I feel that if Descartes were alive in the social media-based life, he might have asked: “Do we exist at all unless and until we exist on social media?” Hence, based on Descartes’ famous words, I would like to give them a new millennium spin: I am on social media, therefore I am. I am in powerful position, therefore I am. I click and comment, therefore I am. I quit social media, therefore I do not exist at all!

10 minute school

Heal the ailing Root:Final Part

Heal the ailing Root

Ashim Kumar Paul - April 11th, 2011

(From previous  issue)

In comparison with the existing status of private universities, the concerned higher authorities of public universities, many think, are highly expected to disapprove of the way of student-politics. Yes, the statistics about the private institutions is true but on the same, it should not be forgotten that most of our leading national political leaders and positively social movers as well as personalities are the creation of public institutions and had kept themselves engaged in and move for various kinds of national, political and socio-economic issues and worked for the student political wings from their study institutions. As their contribution to our national policy is worthwhile, the significance of student politics can neither be denied nor be taken out indeed.

Regardless of the present worsened condition of student politics in various higher educational institutions and their residential halls, student politics must be held in high esteem for its bright prospect in the ground of our national socio-politic and economic interests. It is student politics which can only bring about positive changes in the traditional outlook and movement of our national politics. Only rejoiced and spirited youths can be able to establish the true image of Bangladesh. Student politics, since, is considered the focal root of our national politics and its progress, necessary steps are now gravely required.

Although the present election commission has recommended the political parties to snap off any link with the wings of students (and such malpractice is also unwelcome to many minds), most of student wings are still propped up by the main political groups. Therefore, all political parties need to head for taking effective and sufficient steps to amend the prevailing status of student politics and to ensure for making our educational institutions a better place for learning and creative horizon and for the sake of creating competent and dedicated national leaders. 

Besides, cutting off the clandestine connection between the major parties and their students’ wings, encouraging meritorious, competent and liberal students to join and work for, meticulously maintaining order and discipline in student parties, ignoring nepotism and other bigotry, for instances, should be added to the vision of student politics. Also the authorities of educational institutions own some responsibilities to ensure the better practices of students’ politics. Organizing the students’ union election in right time, allotting the seats in residential halls based on not the political pros but on the merits, forbidding the external political activists on campus etc. can be stood as the right decisions for an enhanced and stable educational environment. I would like to conclude this write-up with my facebook bio where I have penned: “I am such like a man who is standing in the central line between optimism and pessimism—- often inspired by optimism and sometimes captivated by pessimistic views.” But as for a country of bright prospect in the ground of economy, (Ended)

Ashim Kumar Paul
A final year student of
Department of English
Govt. Edward College, Pabna.
Email: ashim_meghdutt@yahoo.com

Click the following link to read its internet edition: http://www.thekushtiatimes.com/11/04/2011/heal-the-ailing-root-2/

Heal the ailing Root: Part-01

Student Politics

Heal the ailing Root

Ashim Kumar Paul - March 21st, 2011

There is no doubt that today student politics has almost been corrupted and taken in. Nearly everyday are noticed the news of campus violence and its ultimate consequences as well from the printing and electronic media. In the wake of such repeatedly appalling incidents, the environment for proper education is also being contaminated and session-jam, intimidating educational environment and insecurity of both the teachers and learners have come visible. Besides, the image of the government is getting held back due to the tarnished activities in various educational institutions in the name of student politics especially as the wing of the ruling party.

But these are not the true spirit and aim of student politics at all. If we remember our historic language movement, it was the then students’ society which came ahead to voice out against the browbeaten choice of the ruling government. Similarly, student politics continued its exertion in the crucial moments of 1962, 66 and 69 which consequently generated the spirit of freedom and birth of this nation in 1971. Even during our glorious Liberation War, our students actively involved themselves keeping hands on hands to free the motherland and its people from the shackles of the inhuman Pakistani forces. Notwithstanding the glory and highly regarded status of our student politics, it is now a matter of shame that we are to see the snaps of student activists carrying arms and mercilessly assaulting other groups or individual!

Thus, reviewing the prevailing scenario, many concerned veteran personalities opine that student politics in educational institutions must be banned to restore the normalcy and congeniality to learning arena. But banning student politics can, in no way, be termed the right solution. It would be apparent as if to cut off your head is to get rid of your headache! Even if it is obvious that student politics has roughly gone astray and is mostly misguided by some morally bankrupt people, it should be neither banned in nor removed from the educational institution. Like the ailing plant, student politics now requires intensive care and to be nourished.

However, it is often argued that as the private universities are altogether free from the malpractice of student politics, they enjoy the privilege of healthy and hospitable educational environment, session jam free education system and tight sanctuary for their learners. In comparison with the existing status of private universities, the concerned higher authorities of public universities, many think, are highly expected to disapprove of the way of student-politics. Yes, the statistics about the private institutions is true but on the same, it should not be forgotten that most of our leading national political leaders and positively social movers as well as personalities are the creation of public institutions and had kept themselves engaged in and move for various kinds of national, political and socio-economic issues and worked for the student political wings from their study institutions. As their contribution to our national policy is worthwhile, the significance of student politics can neither be denied nor be taken out indeed.

Regardless of the present worsened condition of student politics in various higher educational institute

Ashim Kumar Paul
A final year student of
Department of English
Govt. Edward College, Pabna.
Email: ashim_meghdutt@yahoo.com

Click the following link to read its internet edition: http://www.thekushtiatimes.com/21/03/2011/heal-the-ailing-root/

Eve teasing: Fall of Humanity

Ashim Kumar Paul - November 29th, 2010

As an engulfing social curse, eve teasing has, in recent times, appeared as a deadly phenomenon with its lethal paws at different corners of Bangladesh. Almost everyday newspapers are covered with the shocking news of such dreadful brutality towards the women community. 

Today, eve teasing is not confined to the verbal abuse on the women only. They are exposed to physical harassment even while they are on the way to their educational institutions, work-places or other destination. As a matter of fact, no place is completely secure for the women. However, the hands of the teasers have lavishly been so forceful that the members of such vulnerable community even feel insecure at their own house. Thus, extremely insecure at both home and outside, the helpless parents are mostly compelled to either stop their study or get them married off! Besides, those utterly vulnerable girls sometimes are forced to commit suicide to get rid of the torment forever!

There are certain number of reasons behind the viciously expansion of these social diseases. It may be guessed that erosion of religious and moral values, social injustice, laxity of family bonds and norms, reckless growth of cyber world with no assurance of security, socio-economic dwindling culture etc. are vehemently responsible for degenerating the minds of some young people. It is really conspicuous that with the aggression of western satellite culture and thriving development of information technology, our social, moral and religious values are now mostly on the wane. Moreover, some people have chosen the negative flank of tech-benediction instead of the positive one. And the technology based advantages are over and over abused to strangulate the bright prospects as well as luminous dreams of many girls.

Though the victim in few cases comes forward to protest the humiliation she faces, most of the occurrences are hardly focused. Besides, the offended girl can scarcely find the society beside her in the critical moment. Often she is unjustly blamed for the harassment she has to endure. In most cases, she is even coerced into withdrawing the allegations lodged against the felons. Otherwise, the security of her life and her family is at stake. It is obviously notable that most of the gangs of teasers are almost directly or indirectly involved in the native politics. As a result, they also enjoy the privilege from their political godfathers.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”, a famous line extracted from Macbeth, one of the masterpieces by the greatest dramatist William Shakespeare, can here be applied to illustrate the spoiled mentality of those people who are incessantly keeping the valuable lives turn into a dark hole and creating hindrance in the way of progress. Their pesky activities or ill-treatment with the opposite community gives them a perverted pleasure. In practice, their sense of morality and humanity has been occupied by the outright abhorrent psyche.

It is concurred by all with the fact that the development of an entire country requires the equal participation of both male and female communities in the developing sectors and hence, to speed up the wheels of progress, their rights, security and evaluation should be maintained in the same manner. But what we see now is nothing but a true reflection of inequality and socially victimisation of the female who can not pace with their male compeers due to eve teasing and other social tyrannies and injustice towards them.

To be a progressive nation, we need to purge the prevailing curses from the society resulting in our retreat from the path of humanity as well as development. Hence, to eliminate the root of this social curse from our society and make a secure place for the womanhood, we need to change ourselves; our perverted attitude to women should be transformed into humanity. I must believe we can do this standing on our head!

Ashim Kumar Paul

4^th year student of

Department of English

Govt. Edward College, Pabna.

Email: ashim_meghdutt@yahoo.com

Click the following link to view its internet edition: http://www.thekushtiatimes.com/29/11/2010/eve-teasing-fall-of-humanity/