Social Media In Tibet
What is Technology? What is Social Media? What is social media in the context of Tibet? In the context of Tibet, social media is an interactive means of communication that connects people across Tibet, and also as a source of information, for online socialization, local and foreign business transactions which also enable an average Tibetan to connect to outside world for various reasons such as making new online friends etc. Like in other countries, social media is popularly used across various sectors in Tibet including including, education sectors, banks, government institution, public and private sectors and other related economic activities.
To understand what social media means in the life of an average Tibetan, I will share some of my personal stories after social media became part of my life, which also became part of everyday life of Tibetan people. Traditional social life in Tibet was more of a family oriented life style where children are gathered for moonlight stories told by the elders, stories are sometimes about historically events, dramas, stories from religious books, or wars or concurrent event. As a child, I enjoyed the traditional social life in Tibet before the inception of disruptive technologies such as social media. Life was much peaceful, easier and simple, social life was able a Tibetan cultural and traditional life styles of love, family and friends and was not about disruptive technologies or social media. I remember taking a regular trip every night to join other child at the elder’s house to listen to moonlight stories. Actually, elders like telling story is a common phenomenon, namely, it is an elder’s common hobby.
Whenever, they are free, they will gather children together to tell stories, they not only tell fiction stories, but also tell us their real life experiences with a story. That is an interesting way to cultivate children’s memorize skill and imagine skill. Also, improve children’s knowledge as well. But, after social media was inflowing into my life, in Tibetan nomadic life, it replaced everything, people didn’t like talking face to face any more. Children never go to elders’ place to listen stories at all. Elders lost children means, even though, they have their own hobbies. Nobody accompanies with them, it result elders being lonely and children are losing their traditional value and traditional customs. People talk along and stare at cell phone all the time. While elders are very curiously said “Are you talking to a ghost or something, what are you talking to? There is nobody. ”Secondly, I used to wresting and ride horse whenever some of friends gather together. We always have a competition between men, in order to, men know each other more deep and show the skills and strong. Often on grassland, make a circle round and elders watch aside. Then peers have a competition among each other. If someone who didn't allow this rule or don't join this activity, people regard him as a coward boy. Actually, ever Tibetans exercise by this way. Man, who never do exercise, will be eliminate and being lonely.
Nowadays, Tibetan men are becoming stingy and being lazy. They just sitting on the grassland and playing cell-phone whole day. Thirdly, I used to have a hobby to sing Tibetan love song to girls. Whenever, Tibetan boys and girls gather together on the grassland. Especially adults, they often sing love song to each other, show their love and feeling to each other, in order to promote romantic relationship. This not only a way to build romantic relationship, but also it is a way to practice your singing skill. The most important thing is they know each other in deeply and talk face to face, by the way. It is way to compete their intelligence. Because every love song is improvisational and they have to react to each other quickly and impromptu.
All in all, Social media totally changed our live and Tibetan’s life definitely. It is a disruptive technology that has both positive and negative effect on the social life, culture and in the life of an average Tibetan. There was a known label to Tibetan. “One can walk, he can dance; one can speak, he can sing as well. ” Nowadays, this conception was disappeared at all instead of watching videos, playing cell-phone, look down on screen became a common phenomenon. Young generation, nobody can sing song well as same as elders. Nobody behaviour well such as elders do. Because of the impact of social media.
Whenever we are talking about social media, almost, everybody automatically remind Facebook, whatsaap, Instagram or Twitter, Right? Nevertheless, could you consider out what benefits do you have when you start using these social media? Could you imagine these social media brought you any benefits or any impact or any change in you live or your life?
