manish kumar, post news network, Bhubaneswar, March 25: Marriages are no longer made in heaven. Even if those are, those are driven by technology. 26-year-old Debdutta Mohanty was all set to tie the nuptial knot six months ago. Her family was busy arranging her marriage with a management professional in Pune. She was, however, left with only one still photograph of her would-be groom to decide on her future. The tech-friendly mass communication graduate decided to use technology to get more information on her to-be husband.
“I had his contact number. I found out that he had a WhatsApp account. Through the mobile app, I saw his profile picture in a jolly mood. He was dressed in traditional attire in the picture his family had given us. Through the app, I saw his ‘other’ avatar. Moreover, I searched him on Facebook and took a sneak peek into his profile to know more about his likes, dislikes and views. It really helped me in knowing him better,” Debdutta said.
Like Debdutta many other young prospective brides and grooms are vehemently using the technology to spy on their to-be spouses to know more about them before they actually get to know each other. Sneha Mohapatra, an engineering graduate from KIIT who married last year also thanked social networking sites, which helped her know her in-laws better. “Parents of my to-be husband during our meeting told that their ‘boy’ never touched alcohol, but, I decided not to believe them until I investigated matters my way. I just opened his Facebook profile where I saw him liking a famous whisky brand. Moreover, I also found him tagging himself to some of the bars with his friends. It didn’t take much time to know what the fact really was.”
Truth that social networking sites help one find out may not always be ‘funny’, as Ankit found out. Ankit Srivastava, a management professional from the city says, “I was all set to tie the knot in November 2014. I was thrilled. But out of curiosity, I tried spying on her through her Facebook account. One post told me about her breakup two years ago.”
No, there was no untying the knot. The marriage took place as usual. Only Ankit got the confidence, thanks to the social media, that now he could better understand his wife without going through any unpleasant mood swings. “It didn’t impact my marriage, but I got an idea of her past, which can help me understand her better,” he says.
Regardless of the ‘truth’ these social networking sites throw up, these sites have also proved to be a boon to many families who needed some quick information about any person with whom they wanted to make an alliance.
Facebook, WhatsApp and LinkedIn have now turned out to be a weapon that ensures quick access to information related to any prospective bride or groom. “Last month, my parents invited some guests over to our house to discuss my marriage. I was not prepared. Often the other party demands a biodata and other professional details. I quickly switched on my laptop and showed them my LinkedIn profile which had all professional data of mine. Actually the other party was impressed by my tech savvy nature,” says Dr R R Rahul, a city-based dentist.
Neeta Patel, an IT professional from the city said, “During my marriage talks at my home, my parents gave the other party a still photograph of mine. They were not impressed. They asked for more photos. My parents turned to me. I just asked them to go through my Facebook pictures where I had more than 500 pictures uploaded. Sometimes I wonder how technology has intruded into different aspects of our lives and fortunately often it makes our work easier and faster.”