Feature



Saushan Rahman

“Hi, please. Do you have a web cam? Can we try voice chat?” These lines are not unknown to today's young generation. These are the very first messages one gets when entering a chat room. With the advancement of technology, the world is becoming smaller by the minute. The magical Internet has not only given us access to information, but also has tied people around the world in one web. Thanks to Yahoo, MSN messenger and many other chat rooms, now the boundaries are just a geographical factor.

Everyday, people of all age and gender enter numerous chat rooms. What previously belonged only to the young people now belongs to everyone. Even parents who complained about their children spending too much time in front of the computer are now fond of this mode of communication.

Why is chatting so popular? More importantly, why do people enter these chat rooms? Is it only to pass time, look for a friend, share ideas, and get to know other cultures, or more than that? Different people have different views about chatting and the chat rooms.

Rakib Shahriar, a student of BUET says, "I have been chatting in chat rooms since 2006. I usually logon to banglacfe. Previously I only used messenger." When asked why he went for the chat rooms, he replied, "I can not say that I logged on to the sites for passing time, though that was the idea in the beginning. As I am single, I was looking for someone special. Many of my friends found their special one through chatting, and I thought I might be the next fortunate man. But later I found out that there is more than just passing time or looking for a special friend. In the chat rooms one gets to meet people from different parts of the world. Their opinions differ from one another. One can get so many opinions on a topic."

Shayan, a student at Dhaka University, has something else to say. He says, "many people enter chat rooms when they feel lonely. Those who do not have many friends come to the chat rooms. Those who have lots of friends to hang out with rarely come here, cause they do not need strangers to share their thoughts with."

Rabbi, another student from BUET, says, " I come to these chat rooms to meet different people and share my views with them. But I cannot say that one can find good friends here because one cannot tell if the other person is telling the truth or not."

Rashan, a student at North South University, disagrees with this point. She says, "of course you can find good friends through the net. Many people think it is necessary to meet someone before being friends. I do not agree to that. If you are a friendly person and value the gift of friendship, then you can find good friends through chatting as well. The reason why I like these chat rooms is because through them I get to meet people from different countries and get to know about their culture, country and heritage. While chatting you can learn and have fun at the same time."

In spite of all the positive remarks, all of them had their complaints regarding some people who enter these chat rooms. They complained that many people use slang and engage in vulgarity. Those with webcams often try to promote pornography. These should be stopped. Chat rooms would be a place where people meet together, and it should be free from all bad influences.

Whether it is friendship, passing time or sharing views, millions of people enter these chat rooms everyday. These rooms can actually create a community, a web of friendship. But there should always be dignity among the chatters. By using slang and trying to promote abusive things they will only lose face to others, nothing else.