In an age where perception often outweighs reality, this truth has never felt more urgent.
Let’s begin with a figure misrepresented in today’s culture—Narad Muni. Over the years, filmmakers and TV serials have portrayed him as a gossipmonger, a comic relief character with a veena and a mischievous smile. And frankly, I’m furious and frustrated with how easily we reduce our thinkers to clowns. Narad Muni, who travelled between worlds to challenge kings and gods alike, has been turned into a comic sidekick. This isn’t just ignorance— it’s intellectual vandalism.
Because those who are familiar with our scriptures know better. Narad Muni was not a gossipmonger. He was a strategist. A communicator. He didn’t simply “spread news”—he shaped destinies, mediated across worlds, and challenged complacency in power structures. If there was a divine ministry of communication, Narad Muni headed it. He was the original media professional—reporting across realms, navigating crisis, and provoking evolution.
The one who controls the message controls the mind.
Yet, our popular imagination has trivialized him. And this misrepresentation mirrors a deeper issue in how we treat messengers, then and now.
Today, Narad Munis’s veena has been replaced by smartphones. His celestial journeys have become scrolls and swipes. And his message? It echoes in every trending hashtag, breaking story, or viral video. We don’t ride clouds—we ride algorithms. But in times like these—times of war, civil unrest, climate breakdowns, and institutional collapse—how we carry the message matters more than ever.
When the World’s on Fire, Your Feed is the Frontline
In the middle of a pandemic, I saw strangers on Twitter become saviours. Verified leads for oxygen, hospital beds, and plasma donors—it wasn’t the official helplines that helped; it was the Digital human chain we formed. People turned their Instagram stories into SOS boards. It was messy. It was chaotic. But it worked.
This is the new reality: social media isn’t just a place to ‘chill’—it becomes the first responder- the go-to place when systems fail. Whether it’s a war zone in Ukraine or a flood in Assam, real-time updates and crowd-sourced solutions are often coming from ordinary people, not official channels. But here’s the catch: speed often beats the truth. The faster something spreads, the less time we have to verify it. And in emergencies, that can be dangerous.
A Platform Where the Margins Finally Speak
One thing I deeply admire about today’s digital ecosystem is this: it has amplified voices we were never taught to hear. Dalit youth from Bihar speaking their truth on YouTube. Tribal artists are going viral on Instagram. Farmers live-streaming their protests. Women documenting harassment in real-time. These aren’t “influencers”—they’re people finally breaking out of silence. Social media has become the new Jan Sunwai Kendra, where Stories are no longer filtered through newsroom biases or TRP pressures. Of course, there’s noise. But there’s also raw truth—and that’s powerful.
But Who’s Controlling the Narrative?
Let’s not romanticise it. Every powerful tool has its misuse. If Narad Muni could trigger wars with a single line, imagine what a manipulated video can do today. We’ve seen it: WhatsApp forwards leading to mob lynchings. Deepfakes eroding trust. Troll armies sponsored by political interests. Algorithms that push hate because outrage drives engagement. We think we’re choosing what we watch, but often, we’re being chosen—targeted, segmented, and nudged. What’s trending isn’t always what’s true. That scares me.
Digital Empathy Is Real—and Needed
I’ve also seen the other side: the warmth of strangers. A child with a rare disease finds help from a crowd-funding campaign that went viral. An elderly couple running a dhaba becomes overwhelmed by love after watching an emotional video. An artist in a small town sells out her handmade collection thanks to one shared by a kind follower. This is the part of social media that restores faith—it’s our collective heartbeat. **It shows that in critical times, solidarity doesn’t need a speech. Sometimes, it just needs a share.
When Governance Enters Your Notifications
Today, even governments tweet. Ministries issue advisories via Instagram, and political campaigns are won or lost based on digital narratives.
This has both promise and peril.
Digital diplomacy is real. Hashtags and viral outrage shape policy decisions. However, when governments shut down the internet during protests or control content under the pretext of regulation, **we enter dangerous terrain**—where free speech becomes a casualty of political control.
We’re All Emotionally Tired—and That’s Okay to Admit
Let’s be honest. There’s only so much heartbreak, outrage, and fear one can consume before it starts affecting your body and mind. I’ve been there—scrolling endlessly, unable to sleep, crying over stories of war victims, feeling helpless about systemic injustice, and then feeling guilty for switching off. We’re all tired. Emotionally fatigued. And that’s okay. We need intentional consumption—some days, it’s okay to detox. Protect your peace. You can’t pour from an empty cup, especially when the world needs people with full hearts.
So, What Now?
Social media is not going anywhere. It’s not the villain. Nor is it the hero. It’s a tool—a mirror of who we are and what we value. The question is: **how do we use it when everything feels like it’s falling apart?
- Be mindful of what you share – Verify before you amplify.
- Support truth over trends – Hype is easy, and integrity is rare.
- Lift voices that matter – Especially those from the margins.
- Take breaks when needed – Digital warriors also need rest.
Closing Thoughts: Carrying the Veena with Grace
If Narad Muni were here today, I imagine he’d still be doing what he did best—connecting, provoking thought, shaking comfort zones. Only, instead of travelling between lokas, he’d probably be running a powerful newsletter or podcast. The role of a communicator—then and now—remains the same: to raise societal awareness. To make people think. To hold up a mirror. In these turbulent times, may we all be responsible messengers. May we carry our veena with grace. And may our timelines become spaces not just of noise but of nuance, empathy, and truth.
Because the world doesn’t just need more content, it needs more consciousness.
