Why Trolling And Mocking People Like “Gopi Bahu” Or Online Teachers Who Aren’t Tech Savvy Isn’t Cool
niharika nayakBA (Media & Communication) Experience: 4 yearsNiharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... more
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We live in an age where technology is now easily accessible to people in all corners of the country. As India is a rapidly booming economy, many tech giants choose to focus on Indian audiences. Whether it is famous tech YouTubers who now review their phones in rupees instead of just dollars or your college professor, who uses his laptop to teach you, technology is now accessible to every age category. However, in many smaller cities and villages, the concept is still new and it is only now many people are getting access to the internet and learning how to make use of it. In Indian media and over social media channels, those who aren’t very tech-savvy are often mocked and judged by those who are more tech-savvy. Here is why this “elitist” attitude towards those people is not okay.
Sharing Online Videos Mocking Teachers
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many professors and teachers have had to resort to picking up new forms of technology they might not have been well versed in earlier. Many teachers have reported students misusing the power of technology and creating false usernames and using abusive verbal languages in online class sessions. Reportedly, students send offensive memes on the online group or switch off their cameras and use foul language.
While some students from lower backgrounds are struggling to gain access to the technical requirements requested by their schools, many urban students are misusing their readily available technology. It is extremely upsetting to know that we live in an era where students feel the need to mock the very same people who are helping them gain the skills and education required to function in the real world. As upsetting as this may be, what makes matters worse is that many of these teachers are unable to do anything as they are overpowered by the large groups of students (1).
“Gopi Bahu” And Other Silly Stereotypes
We’ve all seen the “hilarious” memes of an Indian TV serial character, popularly known as “Gopi Bahu” washing a laptop with water and soap, much to the horror and amusement of her family members. We see the scene playoff in a very dramatic manner and her husband expresses shock at her destroying his technology. But why is it funny? She was even spotted by family members who just chose to stand in the sidelines and watch her rather than tell her otherwise. We realize that this is fiction, but the media gives us what we want to see and clearly, the audience found the seen very funny. Social media “experts” didn’t leave a chance to use the image of the poor character as a symbol for those who aren’t good with technology.
As silly as this scene is, it isn’t too far away from reality. People often end up destroying their products and gadgets if they are unaware of how to properly take care of them. Have you never dropped your phone? It is not fair to make fun of people who clearly lack technological expertise. There might be people who didn’t have the luxury to grow up with a laptop or a smartphone in the palm of their hands. It’s really unfair to expect people to have knowledge of technology from the get-go.
Tik Tok And The Rise Of Influencers
The Chinese app, TikTok had taken over many other forms of social media as the most used app. Many of the users were Indians and South Asians. It allowed people from foreign countries to have access to Indian content and Indians to have access to foreign content. However, many used this as an opportunity to mock the so-called “influencer community” online. There were many Indian TikTokers who were being mocked on online meme pages and the likes.
However, due to recent tensions between India and China, the government made the decision to ban Chinese apps. Many people protested against the banning of the app as a lot of people used the app to increase their social media following and showcase their talents to the world. Many people really enjoyed using the app and sought it out as a way of comfort during these dark times (2).
Trolls And Online Toxicity
We’ve all seen videos being shared of people caught in awkward positions or forgetting to switch off their cameras after an online session. However, violating their privacy and sharing these videos and pictures online is not cool. The incident may have been temporary but once it’s on the internet, it’s on the internet forever. While the internet is a great place and one where you can express your opinion, it can also be a hostile environment filled with trolls, stalkers, and online bullies.
Since the internet is relatively unfiltered it can often be misused to hurt other people or write vile things on social media. Thanks to the internet being available to all types of age groups and people, harassment over opinions is often a reality. Lately, there have been a lot of female comedians being sent death threats, rape threats and others for simply having a voice or stating out their opinions. Many influencers and stand up comedians have had their personal addresses and numbers exposed on social media through an act called doxing (3) (4).
While the internet can be a harsh place, we must all ensure that we try to make it better by doing good by ourselves. Harassing people online for personal gain is extremely unnecessary especially if they are teachers or colleagues, bossed, or anybody else taking out the time to help you. Together we can make the internet a safe space. Let us know all your thoughts on this article in the comments section below. Share this article if you enjoyed reading it!
