I am from India and I really feel that these technologies are decreasing the grey cells from the minds of the youngsters. Using FB, Twitter and Whatsapp like SNS is a must have for a 10th grade student. This is the time when they have to learn the basics of science and the life. If you will ask someone about Newton, they are going to stumble . However, if I ask them about FB they are going to tell the full form of acronym and as well as the use of the SNS.
The time they can spend on improving themselves and their gray areas, they are spending that time on FB and other SNS and wasting it.
As Patja said, email is really a big NO for them. Just two days back, one of my friend who is in her high school asked me to edit her pics. I said her to send here pic as an attachment in an email. Her reply was amusing. She was saying that she has to do extra work. I just didn't know how it is an extra work to send the same stuff over email rather than on whatsapp.
Discounting the first part of your post, I do the same thing re: pics. I use Android and take advantage of Google's auto-backup to G+ feature, from which I then share pics. It's not convenient for the people I share them with, but at that point doing anything else with them becomes their problem, not mine. Editing pics on a mobile device is an awful experience, and getting pics from a mobile device to a pc to then edit is unpleasant, too. I feel her pain.
To your first point, social networks are what you make of them. Don't judge. :) It's also still a fact that, especially in India (when trying to get hired by a western tech company), being able to effectively communicate using western idiom and being up to date on trends, etc, is almost as valuable as your technical chops. I can train you to program. I can't train you to work well with others.
yes you are right that social networks are what we make of them. We should not judge anyone. :) I am seconding your views. But I didn't understand that how social network can help someone to work well with others? Yeah if they are meeting personally then it makes them more socialized. However, if they are just chatting and exchanging text and nothing else then it is waste of data and as well as time.
How is that any different than kids playing video games or sports? It's not like subject material in school is being replaced by iPhone games and Snapchat.
The time they can spend on improving themselves and their gray areas, they are spending that time on FB and other SNS and wasting it.
As Patja said, email is really a big NO for them. Just two days back, one of my friend who is in her high school asked me to edit her pics. I said her to send here pic as an attachment in an email. Her reply was amusing. She was saying that she has to do extra work. I just didn't know how it is an extra work to send the same stuff over email rather than on whatsapp.