This article titled, Virtual Pleasures, in the Economist looks at a really important issue – what is really driving young people (men) in conservative societies to spend time online? I think the issue raised in this article is a very valid one - whether the online social media will eventually provide a way for young people to collaborate on political causes or will it just become a medium to seek out self pleasures? For instance, the article points out that in India the young people spend most of their online time browsing pages of matchmaking websites to find a spouse. The online digital media in India is providing opportunities for romance and dating which are otherwise considered a taboo in traditional Indian society.

I think the challenge is – how to use social media to get young people more interested in politics and causes which are of social importance and not just use it for personal pleasures and consumption?

The saying “romance is in the air” appears to be true in modern times too. In today’s world, it is mobile phones which are carrying the messages of love. Although you may read numerous articles about how the way you smell, the color of your clothing and your confidence can make you look more attractive to your date. In India where dating is not a culturally acceptable phenomenon, people are using mobile phones to date and romance. Does it mean that how you look, smell and the way you carry yourself has no relevance in India between the dating couple? I am not sure. But it is true that Indians are using mobile phones to get to know their partners before marriage even if the match is arranged. In her study Carolyn Wei, found several instances where young Indians living in Bangalore were using mobile phones to maintain personal and romantic relationships. The study supports the evidence that mobile phones are being used for dating, however, the extent to which they are impacting or changing cultural values about dating and romance is still not known. The question still remains, whether dating before marriage is now acceptable in India or is it happening because mobile phones provide a convenient way?

This article in Asia Times by Sultan Shahin, reports on how short messaging services (sms) on mobile phones have been embraced by Indians and changing communication behavior and practices. It reports, that on an average, 60 messages are sent out per phone everyday. This means minimum of 2 messages in an hour. SMS is being used to flirt, bypassing the cultural rules and also for greeting people on special occassions such as festivals. People are writing love poems and these short messages are arousing people. One would think that these short messages won’t affect people who are already bombarded with so many advertising messages. But probably intimately crafted messages do have an effect on people. And words do have an effect on people more than we may assume.