DIGITAL SUPERTITION: BEWARE OF FAKE MIRACLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

DIGITAL SUPERTITION: BEWARE OF FAKE MIRACLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

7-MARCH-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Nowadays, our WhatsApp and Facebook accounts are flooded with videos claiming, "Look at this amazing cow with three heads," or "This statue suddenly opened its eyes." They are accompanied by a threat or allurement: "Send this to 11 people and you'll receive a ton of money by evening. If you don't, disaster will ensue."

Let's understand the harsh reality of this 'digital trap' in detail and in simple terms. This isn't a 'miracle,' it's 'computer work'!

In ancient times, magicians used sleight of hand; today's 'digital magicians' use computers and mobile apps. The wonders of VFX and AI: Nowadays, apps have become available that make it very easy to create four legs or three heads for any animal instead of two.

Editing plagiarism: Often, a video of a sick animal (with a congenital defect) is taken and exaggerated, portraying it as a divine incarnation. This is a medical matter, not a miracle. Your 'faith' is their 'business.' You think you're earning merit, but in reality, you're lining someone's pockets. How?

The game of views: The more people watch a video on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, the more dollars the video creator earns.

Greed and fear: They know that people in India are deeply rooted in religion and faith. Therefore, they use phrases like "good news will come" or "bad things will happen" to scare or tempt you into sharing the video. For them, your emotions are merely a 'business.' Money doesn't come from 'sharing,' it comes from 'hard work.'

Just think with a cool mind—has anyone in the world become rich by simply forwarding a message? Use your reasoning (the power of reasoning)!

If sharing videos brought money, there would be no poverty in the country, and no one would work hard.

Karma is worship: Wealth always comes from proper planning, hard work, and intelligence. Forwarding a fake video is a waste of time, not a virtuous act. Its negative impact on society!

When we share such videos, we unknowingly spread the filth of superstition in society. Our elders and less educated people believe them to be true and live in fear.

This regresses society's thinking, and people begin to rely on sorcery instead of science or logic. What should we do? "Easy ways to protect yourself"!

Stop and think: As soon as you receive a message saying "Share this or you'll suffer," understand that it's fake. God never punishes anyone for not sharing the message.

Break the chain of forwards: Don't forward such videos. Your one click of the 'delete' button can break a chain of superstition. Explain to others: If an elder in your family group posts such a video, politely tell them that it is a computer-generated video and not to believe it to be true.

If you see such a video on Facebook or Instagram, report it as 'False Information' or 'Spam'. True devotion lies in our conduct and helping others, not in the 'share' button on our mobile. Be aware and do not let your faith become a tool for anyone's business.