By Kumar Abhinav
“Social media is a race in a virtual crowd. Have you been lost or found lonely”? Technology plays a vital role among mankind. Almost every nation around the globe has access to the internet. Not just that, during the COVID-19 epidemic, most people in the world seem to be investing time in learning technology.
Number of countries in the world are in a state of stagnation, forcing people to work from home. Looking at the statistics in today’s world, it is found that cyber crime has skyrocketed. People are supposed to work from home which gives a huge advantage to the cyber criminals. The statistics in India underlined that in just seven years, it can be seen that social crimes have reached their peak. Cyber crime victims have no particular age limit, anyone can fall prey to it. Criminals have started using it as a privilege as it has become quite easy to reach someone on social media.
Social media has captured millions of users in today’s world and has become a crucial part of everyone’s lives, that is, no one would be deprived without it’s use. Social media is a technology that runs through computers and is based on the Internet and helps users to work faster. Social media is a major contributor to the current digital age in most countries of the world. Social media has created new opportunities for criminal justice agencies to tackle crime. Due to the increasing use of technology in the world, social media can be seen to occupy its place in every field. For example, its importance can be seen in every field from online banking, ticket booking etc. It’s use seems to have increased due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The COVID-19 epidemic has highlighted the importance of social media.
Social media has raised new concerns about crime. Victims on social media platforms are not uncommon. For example, a 13-year-old girl from a village in Rajasthan, India created her Facebook ID on social media. Due to the new Facebook, many people kept making requests and later a boy in her class proposed to her via social media. He denied it and the boy started abusing her on social media and later came under mental stress and the girl could not bear it and committed suicide. This is not a common phenomenon. It can be seen that there is a criminal mentality behind this through social media. Looking at the statistics of India itself, it can be seen that women are suffering more through social media in India.
An MBBS student of a private medical college in Kozhikode, Kerala, committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of the institute on Wednesday, November 15. The accident took place at the medical college at 4 pm. Although police have not been able to determine the cause of the 22-year-old’s suicide, his Facebook post indicated he was the victim of a cyber attack on social media. This is an example of the ugly state of cyberbullying. Sadly, every day another innocent life seems to be suffering not only in India due to online suffering and cyber bullying. Looking at the statistics of India in the last few years, it is seen that the incidence of cyberbullying has skyrocketed in India.
Problem caused by social media in the society
Child Pornography: – It is found to cause distortion in the society. This has had a negative impact on the society. Child pornography is sometimes called “child sexual abuse image” because it is the image (picture) of a child being sexually abused. For example, a young man in India recently abused his girlfriend through social media. He sent nude photos to youngsters abroad to extort money and also killed his girlfriend’s character. This is not a normal phenomenon. This incident has tarnished the image of the girl child in the society. As such incidents are increasing day by day, it has created a bizarre situation in the society. Due to which a situation of fear is being created in the society mainly for women.
Cyber Bullying: -The pressure of using technology can be seen to increase with the increase of locked down period in the world. At present, most of the youths seem to have gone into technology. Looking at the latest statistics of india, it is found that cyberbullying has increased in India. Cyber Bullying is a cyber crime that can happen to anyone in today’s digital age, but many children fall prey to it due to lack of information about cyber crime. Sometimes at first we don’t even realize that someone is threatening us online? Someone may be a known person, friend, relative or anonymous person that we mix online on social media platforms or gaming portals and make them friends. In cyber bullying, he can spread dirty messages, direct threats or any unsolicited rumors against you.
Terrorist Group: – It can be seen that criminal activities have increased in the society due to social media. Terrorist organizations are found to be conducting violent activities in the society from recruitment through social media. The Al Qaeda terrorist group, for example, uses social media the most and carries out most of its activities. The notorious terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has also translated it into ISIS. Posting executions online gives terrorist groups the power to intimidate and terrorize the population they view. It is found that they create a state of mental retardation in society.
How can we become aware of this?
Social media is also changing the nature of post-crime behavior. As platforms evolve and new issues emerge, social media will continue to provide challenges and opportunities for criminal justice authorities, as well as change the way the public understands and engages in crime and victim cases.You can avoid becoming a victim of cyber crime by following the prevention tips mentioned below.
By educating yourself with the types of cybercrime that exist on the internet, you become aware of all those online crimes.
Remember, whenever you post online that data stays there so it’s important to understand that you should not share your phone number and other personal details to a random person.
While you’re checking emails or chatting on Messenger, be careful when clicking on the link attached to a message sent by an unknown person. Always be aware of cybercrime as they prey on people in new ways.
Therefore, everything in the world has its pros and cons, and much depends on how we use them. If we can make good use of social media, it will be a boon and not a bane.
(The author is a former student of National Institute of Technology, Raipur (India) and cyber-security analyst. The views expressed are his own)
