India, March 30 -- A lot gets discussed these days about the negative impacts of social media (like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc) and the vulnerability to mental health issues that they can induce. However, social media can also help in connecting with people in healthy ways. The most hopeful thing about social media is that it's us, people, who are using them; and as long as we can take charge of and manage our minds, social media won't harm, but will rather assist us.

Having said that, it's necessary to fully understand the impact these networking platforms can have on us, and how to leverage the benefits while marring and curtailing the ill-effects.

I remember my first tryst with a social networking website, called Orkut, way ba...