The 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, are suddenly announced to be shut down in Nepal from Bhadra 19. Social media heats up more than usual.

Different comments start pouring in. Some say, ‘This can’t happen, it must not happen.’ At first, it is hard for everyone to believe this news. But as official institutions start releasing statements one after another, public curiosity grows even more.

At the same time, a wave begins — people start posting photos like never before, as if they won’t get the chance again. This trend spreads everywhere, almost becoming viral.

Soon after, news starts spreading rapidly that Facebook, Instagram, and 26 other social media platforms will be shut down in Nepal because they are not registered. By now, it feels like everyone is in a rush, wondering what to do and what not to do. Then another trend starts on Facebook — people sharing their Viber QR codes saying, ‘We are here too.’ At this point, it really feels like the days of Facebook and those 26 social media platforms have come to an end.

The world has moved forward in technology, and we have also become used to social media. When such a sudden flood or landslide hit Nepal’s social media space, the platforms themselves showed clear signs of people running to save their work, jobs, and businesses. At a time when we have entered the era of e-commerce, this shutdown will surely create difficulties for those who rely on online platforms. It is clear that this immediate closure will affect many people’s work and businesses, and since it comes right before the festival season, it will definitely have an impact on economic activities.

This incident also teaches us that no matter how far ahead the world has leapt, accidents are bound to happen if we ignore rules and regulations.

Of course, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are not the only social media platforms available. TikTok, which was banned a year ago but reinstated into the system, is now a small thread of hope, and Viber, which is already registered, remains a way to stay connected.

It is good to have systems in place and follow the rules, but while trying to regulate the platforms that have become a source of employment for so many, the government may have failed to understand the situation of the users and instead made a one-sided decision.

Let us hope that soon the active social media platforms will be registered and return, making things easier for everyone in the long run.

By Reshmi Lamichhane