Mumbai: During his interaction with nearly 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha students at the India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.) 15th anniversary event held at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) on August 6, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat responded to a question on the growing influence of social media, changing role models and whether India should consider restricting social media use among young people.
The event brought together students aged between 15 to 19 from more than 100 cities across India under the theme “The Role of Youth in Uniting the World: The Indian Perspective”.
Below is an excerpt from the interaction
Question:
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly influenced by social media, where instant gratification, algorithm-driven content and viral personalities often shape their thinking. Countries such as Australia have imposed restrictions on social media use for children below the age of 16. Should India also consider restricting social media for young people or is there a better way to address its growing influence? How can society promote the right role models when content promoting hatred and violence often attracts more views and likes?
Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s Answer:
“It should be used properly. The answer is in your question itself. Rules should be made. Discipline should be created. That is fine, but it becomes successful only when the attitude changes. Many laws have been made. So what is happening?
Society itself is the real law. You spoke about role models. The role models of the previous generation were different. Role models will have to change on their own, won’t they?
For example, on social media, who am I? If ten lakh people follow what I do, then it becomes my responsibility to ensure that those ten lakh people do not fall into a pit by following me. At least I should have that much awareness. That is wisdom.
Today, technology on social media has reached a stage where they can create your or my image, put words into our mouths, reproduce our voices, and make it appear as though we actually said those things—fake videos and so on. Knowing this, while using social media, one should not believe anything without verification from authentic sources.
We need some discipline—a self-imposed discipline about the media in the new way. Gen Z and others should develop the wisdom of what to do and how to do it. Before that, we all in society will have to live by it ourselves.
After that, if such discipline is implemented, then it will work. Otherwise, if you ban something, it simply goes into the black market and spreads even more strongly. That is not the solution. Therefore, the answer has to come from the whole of society, not only from the government.
Gen Z and others do not subscribe to values. Then why do they believe in role models who are value-based? We have to think about this. We have to decide what our purpose is and think accordingly. We cannot say one thing in one place and another thing somewhere else”.
