BHOPAL: The serial murder case has again kicked up discussion on social media and its pros and cons. Akanksha Sharma, slain by serial killer Udayan Das, met him through Facebook and was continuously in contact with him through video calling.
The big question which this murder has brought forth is, ‘Why girls trust someone they come across on Facebook?’ When Free Press asked the girls of the city, the same question, they said that it is sheer stupidity on part of anyone to trust somebody from Facebook, be it a girl or boy.
They also said that social media is addictive but youth today are more informed about it and they do take care of the fact that everything on social media is not to be trusted.
Shikha Sharma, employee of an NGO
“When social media was new, it was believable that people easily trusted anyone on Facebook or other social networking sites but today, I believe girls are more informed about the security threats. Personally, when somebody sends me a friend request on Facebook, I look for the mutual friends and I make extensive use of blocking option available, as long as I doubt any account”.
Kritika Rathore, Student
“We are continuously taught about the online frauds and today girls tend to be more conscious about who they connect with on social media. We don’t chat with any random guy and even if we do, we limit the chatting and don’t share any personal information. Falling prey to Facebook friends and trusting them blindly is very stupid for anyone. Connecting with people and sharing your life’s details is completely different.”
Sushmita Haldar, Student
“There is no surety about a persona and his or her personality and nature until we spend a considerable amount of time with them. Talking over video calls and chatting reveals nothing about the real character of a person. If we trust someone, whom we met online, then it is us who are committing a mistake here. I personally cannot trust people even after meeting personally, so there is no chance that I will even date someone I met just online.”
Pooja Yadav, Student
“It is very stupid of me to trust a person I came in contact on Facebook, Linkedin, or anywhere online. We are very aware that chatting on virtual world and knowing someone personally is not same. Also, there are TV serials like ‘Crime Patrol’, ‘Saavdhan India’. People say that these serials provoke crimes but I believe that they also make us aware about the different ways we can get cheated. We should be aware of them as well.”
