Vascokars United, Benaulim Forum, Divar Goans in Kuwait, Goans in Bahrain forum and thousands of such groups unite Goans to discuss their issues, their vaddos, their churches, their temples, their football grounds and issues pertaining to their beaches and rice fields. Social Media groups on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter are the new tintos and balcaos where potshots are taken, Konkani slang is used, emoji’s of beer mugs are posted to celebrate and insults are sent across but all done to discuss Goa’s downfall or celebrate occasions here in Goa!
The trend of social media activism is very high and even 40 to 60-year-old hardcore foot soldiers fighting on issues of mining, CRZ violation, land-filling, hill cutting, illegalities in conversion of agricultural land, illegal construction and many more issues that plague Goa are now taken up on social media and debated and criticized and protested.
But there’s also a lot of trolling and foul language and banter that’s unnecessary. But good things have also happened.
Road contractor and aspiring politician, Nazario Pinto feels that, social media is good as long as it is not misused for venting out personal grudges it can bring awareness which can subsequently bring the change depending on the subject discussed.
While a social media expert associated with Supersonic and FC Goa and an advertising expert Bradley Carvalho feels that there’s a big difference between commenting versus evangelising about a ‘X’ topic on social media. The ones that are truly evangelizing are the ones trying to activate change. But in social media activism in Goa, its evident that there’s a constant ‘One-Way’ communication on a medium meant for two-way, it comes across more as ‘brand building’. However, when an individual (or brand) uses the medium to actually converse and listen to their audience with the objective of implementing change through community-decision, that’s when a connect is established, which is rare in Goa.
While a mass media student Arukshita Anand who spends hours on the internet feels that the internet can have a huge impact on shaping people’s ideas and it is a huge influence on the world but that’s what’s happening globally and not in India or Goa per say. Everyone ends up using social media for personal attacks and mileage which is then converted for contesting polls and then credibility is lost.
But there are sceptics. Sneha Mendis remarks, “I don’t think social media activism really brings about a change. People put up these posts or videos and instead of these posts becoming ‘awareness’ they become a ‘trend’ and everyone wants to participate and be part of whatever is happening. This isn’t because they really care. This is because they want to be part of the cool kids crowd.”
Also Prateek Pant, a PR manager feels that social activism still translates to nothing more than couch activism. Websites like change.org are trying to give this voice a more structured format, yes but as is the case with social media there is more talk than actual steps.
So also bio-chemist, Astrida Fernandes asserted that the word does definitely spread. Though I feel most are couch activist, however, it helps in taking the word to right places and thus helping in action being taken. Hence, slowly, couch activism is changing in wide spread awareness.
But like him or lump him, the social media activist is here to stay and is actually needed for society which is losing its street fighters.
