Our phones have become our lifelines and our social media accounts, the means to survive. Maybe no literally, but they are ruling our lives, says actress Somy Ali. Somy, who runs an NGO, No More Tears in the US and helps victims of domestic violence and rape, says that such platforms have a good and bad side to them.
“We are all addicts and share elements of narcissism in us. It is truly sad because these platforms can be used to do so much good and help so many people, but we are all caught up in our own bubbles,” she says.
There are so many celebrities who post everyday, but not all of them have meaningful content, says Somy, adding, “Celebs have an obligation to post on a daily basis as many of them are brand ambassadors and there is nothing wrong with that as it’s their bread and butter. Particularly, not all, but a significant number of celebrities universally are completely into their social media handles. There are no substantial and meaningful posts informing our public about something on their profiles. But some are different, for example, Deepika posting about mental health or Priyanka posting about UNICEF. Shah Rukh shares a great deal of wisdom on his IG while promoting his next film and similarly Amit ji does the same. There is nothing wrong in doing that because it is obligatory for their fans and the producers to be aware of their latest ventures,” she says.
However, the medium has an even uglier side too, says Somy. “What perturbs me the most are the crass feuds that take place on Instagram and other platforms which bring nothing good in our world except the spread of rapid hate and depiction of high levels of illiteracy as well as lack of class. We don’t bark back at dogs, do we?” she says, adding, “Silence is the best response unless you have been a victim of a crime or any injustice.”
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She adds, “These platforms have become in a way every individual’s own personal mini website where they are constantly promoting themselves and posting things that people would not truly care for. Above all, how do we even know that a reel or a post is the reality of their lives? These are just seconds of displaying how great and happy one is whereas, hours prior they may have had the worst moment ever.”
She has always tried to stay away from posting every regular activity on social media. “Here’s the troubling part, we don’t care to see what one is eating or if they are brushing their teeth and there are several examples of these inane posts. I do not need to go into detail as they are all out there for us to see. I also detest having phones when friends or families are having dinner together. Call me old school, but I miss the days where friends would come over and we would gossip or have fun conversations. At least that’s what I experienced in my teenage years,” she says.
A balance needs to be struck, she says, adding, “Look, a great deal of good has come from this technology, but there must be a balance like anything else in life. There is nothing wrong in posting a sexy picture of yourself if it boosts your morale, but intertwine your platforms with informative and innovative posts too. That’s a healthy balance in my opinion. I am equally guilty of posting selfies, but I balance out my handle by promoting my NGO. Recently, I posted something very important which is very substantial for addicts whether it’s drugs or alcohol and it was Matthew Perry’s memoir. This might save tons of lives if people took the initiative to read his book. That’s just one example, but like I said, we need balance in everything we do.
