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Balancing between real and virtual world: Can teens handle it?

Balancing between real and virtual world

Loneliness, sadness, frustration, relationship problems, pining for friendships, all these are the problems ever since man evolved the social fabric via society. The problems are more compounded in the teenagers, for they are in a transitory phase. They are neither kids to run to their parents for help, nor are they adults to have the maturity and experience to gauge the situation and arrive at a solution. In this regard, the teens today have found a new and instant solution – the virtual world. The world wide web is so tenacious in its grip that it has snared millions of teens literally like flies in a cobweb. The virtual world apparently seems to give more control, dominance and flexibility to be what one wants to. Shockingly, more and more teenagers are turning to it to seek solace.

Perspective towards real world

The real world seems a lot more difficult for achievements, attainments and finding an identity. And that only gets compounded as a result of the life in the virtual world. Too much of screen saturation at an age when the teens should be learning all about social life in the real world makes them grossly under-developed when it comes to emotional resilience and social skills. This leads to increasing failures at relationships in the real world. Again, jumping for the short term benefits, when the teenagers opt for transient relationships of the virtual world, they are only worsening the situation.

Flashy and lucrative virtual world

The virtual world seems to be the coolest place to be in. All it needs to get an ‘avatar’ there, is a user name and password. There is no way to ensure that all the details about a person is true and so, just like choosing characters in a video game, the teenager can pick the age, gender, profession and just about anything else as per his/her choice. The photos that one upload along with the videos can be suited to one’s taste and needs. Membership into discussions of any nature (some of which are explicitly avoided in the real world) is as simple as clicking the mouse once. In short, the virtual world assures one of an image and identity that one fantasizes and chooses. And if there is any complication, all the problems can be flushed away by simply deleting a profile.

However, life in the virtual world is not that simple. Though everything that one does is like ‘playing a role’, the emotions and feelings that arise within the person are very real. And so, when friendships and relationships terminate, they leave a scar on the teenager. Knowing the weaknesses of the teenagers, there are cyber-criminals pretending as damsels in distress or friends in need. But they are out to manipulate emotions and make a quick buck or gratify some mean desires. The virtual world may seem so wonderful as the teen has hundreds of friends but friendship is never about quantity.

Importance of being practical

The virtual world is here to stay. But it lies in the discrimination of the teenager to be able to find a balance between the two worlds. Building relationships and friendship in the real world is a time and energy consuming exercise that brings great satisfaction and gratification. Such relationships not only depend on verbal communication but also through nuances in the voice, tone, the body language etc. Living in the virtual world, one loses out on developing these aspects. So, while in many ways the virtual world almost seems like the real one, but it is not real. Practicality lies in enjoying the virtual world without forgetting its ‘virtual’ aspect.

Developing a level headed approach in the real world

Of course things are not quick in the real world but they are relatively permanent. Intense expectations in the real world build slowly, over a period of time but they are definitely much more stable than those in the virtual world. The onus lies on the parents and elders to a great extent to ensure that the teenagers know the meaning of a ‘virtual’ world. Writing by hand, playing outdoor games, getting to mingle and befriend the children in the neighborhood and having ‘gadget-free’ time in the day is a must. The technological marvel that the ‘virtual world’ is, must be admired and enjoyed but it should never be made into a substitute for the real world.

It must be remembered that everything does not lie in the hands of the elders and teenagers alone. As a human and humane society, it is our responsibility that we do not parade and create an aura about the virtual world. Marketing for the sake of a few extra dollars is not worth the damage being created to the society. If we want a ‘real’ real world, then we have to join hands to keep the virtual world under ‘virtual’ limits alone.

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