Receiving false news or obscene messages through social media apps is unfortunately a daily occurrence now. In an effort to curb their frequency and make the experience of staying informed, WhatsApp, the Facebook owned company, has appointed Komal Lahiri as the Grievance officer for India.
You can now voice out your concerns to her via the app’s ‘Contact us’ option, mail or post.
We find out whom and how the new feature will help, as youngsters in the city open up about being a victim to such messages.
Rahul Gabriel Roy, a student pursuing his masters in literature, narrates an incident that had him starving for days. He says, “Nipah virus hit Kerala like a storm and left people baffled. My dad who was abroad received a different version of it. He constantly received messages about food that needs to be avoided, when in reality it had nothing to do with the virus. Being so far away he didn’t know how he can help and ensured that we did not consume any of it. Leaving us with hardly anything to eat.”
He adds, “It is well known that news spreads faster through social media than any other medium. As young individuals it is important for us to ensure the authenticity of information we receive to avoid unnecessary panic and conflict. This initiative by WhatsApp will definitely help.”
Such messages seem to reach a peak during times of emergencies. Remember the messages we received during the 2016 demonetisation or during the recent floods? Bandhs, are their favourite target! It is safe for us to say that the aim of these messages is to cause panic.
Rama Udaseen, an interior designing student, recalls fresh memories of having received misleading messages, when many states in India were affected by devastating floods. “Many of my friends were in Kerala and I was worried for them. I was well aware of the degree of seriousness but the whatsapp messages were spreading false information. It exaggerated the situation causing so much more panic. 80 per cent of the messages I received about the condition of the state was false, I realised when I cross-checked. I can only imagine the plight of mothers and relatives who depended on these messages to be sure that their loved ones were safe.”
Most youngsters today seem to have found a simple solution to deal with the problem; block the said number/individual. So whom will this feature actually benefit?
Teena Vellara, an entrepreneur, opines, “Majority of the youngsters today are aware of what they receive and how they deal with spam messages. I am very careful about who I add to my list. If I receive an objectionable or obscene message from an unknown number I immediately block it without responding. In terms of whom this service might possibly cater to, I think, maybe our parents. My mum often receives false messages that get her all worked up and cautious. She forwards them to me sometimes and more often than not, they are false.”
