In India, we have this concept of samskara—the values and impressions that shape a person’s thoughts and actions. Traditionally, these came from family, teachers, and society. Today, they come from trending hashtags, viral influencers, and AI-curated feeds. The modern guru isn’t a person anymore; it’s an algorithm.
And here’s the problem. Algorithms don’t care about truth, ethics, or growth. They care about engagement. They amplify what is extreme, what is emotional, what keeps us scrolling. If we are not careful, the youth become products of a system that rewards outrage over understanding, speed over depth, and noise over wisdom.
From Consumers to Creators
There’s a famous saying, Jo dekhta hai, wahi bikta hai (What is seen is what sells). But what if we flipped this? What if instead of consuming social media passively, our youth started creating with purpose?
We don’t need more influencers selling overpriced skin care. We need influencers talking about financial literacy. We don’t need more viral pranks. We need viral ideas. When youth use social media as a tool rather than being a tool for social media, that’s when change begins.
The Choice Between Noise and Influence
Every time we pick up our phones, we make a choice. Do we get lost in the noise, or do we use this space to build influence? Scrolling endlessly is easy, but thinking critically is powerful. Sharing memes is fun, but sharing knowledge is transformative.
The youth today have more access to information than any generation before them. The real challenge is not what they consume, but how they process it. A trending post can spark curiosity, but true learning happens when they pause, reflect, and question.
The Final Scroll
Social media is not inherently good or bad. It’s a tool. A hammer can build a home or break a window. It depends on the one holding it. Our responsibility is not to control what youth see but to equip them with the mindset to see it critically.
The next time you see a teenager glued to their screen, don’t ask, "Why are they always on their phone?" Ask, "What are they building with it?"
Because in the end, the real influencers are not the ones with the most followers. They are the ones who leave the world a little wiser with every post.
