THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 06 JULY 2019 (Imagery addiction (Live Mint))

Imagery addiction (Live Mint)

Mains Paper 3: Science and Tech
Prelims level: Not Much
Mains level: Effects of the social media applications

Context

• Is human communication going back to the age of hieroglyphs?
• The outrage online on Wednesday over an image-loading crash suffered by Facebook and its other apps, WhatsApp and Instagram, would suggest so.

Effects of this addiction

• Text messages had no problem being exchanged.
• Neither did those reductionist little emojis.
• WhatsApp was first littered with a hollow-eyed emoji modelled on Edvard Munch’s Scream, and then by teary laughter after Facebook took to Twitter, of all things, to issue an apology. Image files simply refused to load.
• By the time the glitch was fixed, the internet had revealed a global addiction to pictorial expression.
• Few seemed able to get by without the aid of some imagery in one form or another. Does this reflect a regression to olden days?
• Or the need for a global digita franca?

Conclusion

• Human language evolved from the grunts and groans of survival, the kind that accompany joint action taken against predators or in favour of the species’ perpetuation. Drawings came next.
• Today, the stuff of pharaonic glory has more or less taken over our handsets.
• Scream in emojic horror, if you must, but don’t forget to squeeze out those watery guffaws.

  Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

  General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the Economic Survey 2018-19, consider the following statements:
1. Survey departs from traditional Anglo-Saxon thinking by viewing the economy as being either in a virtuous or a vicious cycle, and thus never in equilibrium.
2. Dwarfs firms despite being more than 10 years old, account for more than 50% of all organized firms in manufacturing by number.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both
D. None

Answer: C
Mains Questions:
Q.1) By the time the glitch in the Facebook ecosystem was fixed, the internet had revealed a global addiction to pictorial expression. Comment.