Should social media become a discipline that needs to be studied?

A recent post on a popular blog site said that “social networks are a new, favorite source of divorce-case information for divorce attorneys”.

At the time of inception, a Facebook or a Twitter or an Orkut had probably not gauged the reach and scope of these social networking portals. Started on a simple faith – to reach out and connect with old friends and acquaintances – today these networking groups have taken on a larger than life avatar. But as it’s known to all, anything good, however well intentioned, comes with a price.

A social cause could turn into a money-making racket. A charitable organization can be looked upon as a hoax. A political outfit, which in all earnestness might be doing good, is deemed corrupt thanks to a handful of people aligned to it. Is it humanly or even technologically possible to regulate and control the opinions and nature of every single individual?

This brings us back to the scope – foreseeable and otherwise – of social networking portals. With a membership base that crosses millions, spans age groups, cultures and types, how much info should one really share on such portals? What are the risk factors and situations that could emerge because of this? Can we have preemptive measures in place? These and more questions arise as we become aware of the evils of social networking.

As we mentioned, evil (its presence could be miniscule or major) is the necessary other-side-of-the-coin. So do we stop using social media? Definitely not! But could we perhaps be better equipped to stall or face these evils? Should there be a school of thought that guides and teaches users (especially younger ones) to use social media intelligently and effectively? Could social media or rather, should social media become a discipline by itself to be studied, analyzed and taught professionally, given its relevance, growth and far-reaching scope?

Definitely food for thought.