With Google, it’s best of times, worst of times
Gurvinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, March 8
Students of different colleges battled it out on stage in debate on the topic ‘Googlization - thumbs up or thumbs down’. ‘The Tribune Inter-College Debate 2016’ saw a healthy debate by the young students, reasoning the good and bad aspects of the increasing use of internet search engines including Google in different spheres of life today. The event was held at Ramgarhia Girls College ansd witnessed the participation of 21 students from 11 colleges.
DCP Narinder Bhargav was the chief guest and SP Paramjit Singh was the guest of honour.
While debating on the benefits of ‘Googlization’, Arshdeep Kaur from Khalsa College for Women, who won the debate said Googlization has helped immensely in making education more accessible and promoting it. It has helped in democratisation and becoming a link between government and citizens.
Gurleen Singh from SCD Government College who gave a ‘thumbs up’ to Googlization said that Google has given a platform to young talent, not only to reach out, but also earn. “Around two million people are able to monetise their creativity sitting at home as they are earning through Google Adsense through online videos,” he said. It is also bringing humanity together and connecting individuals to the world.
Another student, Tafadzwa from PCTE Group of Institution said Google has been at the forefront of technology and innovation of human society. Through Project Loon, access of Internet in remote places is being worked out. The company is engaged in social responsibility projects, he added.
Another student, Sania Behl from Government College for Girls, said that through ‘Google Savings’, financial, and educational and technological aid is being provided to developing countries. Students also spoke about many ‘downs’ of Googlization.
Cherub, from GNIMT said that increasing Googlization has meant decline in habit of reading and murder of creativity. She said rather than using Google, individuals are being used as Google’s products. “Through the search habits and online history, advertisements are flashed to users through Google Adsense. It has led to plagiarism and violated privacy. All kind of content including violent and pornographic content was easily accessible, and yet they are not accountable to us,” she added. It has slaughtered reasoning and logic, made people mentally lethargic, she added.
“Rather of banking on one’s mind, there has been increasing dependence on Google. It is killing imagination and leading to addiction,” said Isha from Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women.
Harsahib Singh from SCD Government College said Googlization is making people intellectually lazy. Providing everything on the platter, with instant results, it is making people stop using their own mind, he reasoned. Increasing personal information on Google, it is leading to increasing security breaches and harassment, he added.
Chief Guest DCP Narinder Bhargav said Google must be used as a tool. He added that what matters is the intent with which it is used. He added that addiction to anything including Google and internet is bad. He hoped that Indians or people from Punjab would develop a better search engine to end the monopoly of Google. Ranjodh Singh, President of Ramgarhia Education Council said that one must search one’s soul. He said that Google is just a tool, and one must use it wisely.
While addressing students, Prof Sarabjit Singh, who also adjudged the participants said Internet is a great leveller, people across the sections of society have access to the same sources of information online. Google must be used intelligently. Giving an example, he said that his daughter Jalnidh Kaur won prestigious Rhodes Scholarship worth Rs 50 lakh to study at Oxford University, after she was searching for scholarship on Google.
