Social media detox fad to fade: Active users

Many Chennai youngsters too are on a social media detox mode or have upped the ante on privacy settings – some have deleted all their photos or wiped their inbox messages clean on most apps and networking websites.  

For most, it just involves a hassle to keep track of birthdays or where friends are vacationing. However, there still exist many users whose careers and field of work depend almost entirely on the amount of personal data they share online and interactions with random followers on a daily basis. 

YouTube artists, Instagram influencers, actors, stand-up comedians, etc., are just some of the millennial professions that require the subjects to completely ignore these privacy concerns – if they want to survive. Influencer and actress Yashika Aannand says she has absolutely no qualms about being omnipresent online – as most of her peers too are the same way and earn money in the process. “When we upload a picture, brands approach us depending on how popular our posts are, the number of likes it gets, our follower count and so on. For an account with around 2 lakh followers, companies pay from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 per picture. All we need to do is just pose along with the product – be it a tea packet, accessory, or make up kit!” She adds that active interaction with followers is vital and though data-sharing can go overboard at times, most influencers have learnt how to balance what they put out. 

Youtube content creator Jaytesh Sridhar, who was the brain behind the channel Paracetamol Paniyaram, says that the ‘detox’ or deleting accounts is just a fad it will go away soon. “It is such an intrinsic part of our lifestyle – it’s absolutely impossible to imagine life without it. Everyone will embrace it fully soon enough. No matter what we do now, our digital footprint is well and truly out there and I don’t see how people think they can reserve the process now.” He adds, “Though the royalty fees which video or short film makers in India get by putting out content online is relatively less, if we strive hard enough it’s possible to get profits. That way, social media is indispensable.” 

City-based stand up comedienne Saadiya Ali is known for her hilarious antics on many digital forums, which propelled her to local fame. “The comedienne in me wants Facebook - who doesn’t like fan messages? But the introvert has been advertising the end of social media since 2010 however. But even if you’re not in my line of work, we have all at some point gotten help through social media. Be it looking for a lost pet or getting blood donors or even helping those in need during natural calamities. Social media is as essential as it is dangerous. And I don’t know what or how to make a difference. I’m going to continue using it. Aadhaar messed with my privacy anyway, what big deal is FB or Google?”