Social media has become an inseparable part of everyday life, with people sharing almost every aspect of their personal and professional lives online. Bhojpuri actress Aamrapali Dubey, who is currently winning hearts as a contestant on the reality show on Colors TV and JioHostar, Bhojpuri Bawaal, has been a part of movies like Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, Patna Se Pakistan, Sipahi, Vidya and Raja Babu, believes that while social media can be a powerful platform, there also needs to be a sense of responsibility and restraint while using it.
Talking about whether people should put everything on social media, Aamrapali says, “The things that the world deserves to know can be put out on social media, but there should be guidelines — not just the app guidelines, but also some restraint according to human conscience.”
She adds that social media has a lot to offer, whether it is fame, money or even sympathy, but one should always question the price being paid for it. “Your conscience should always remind you that you are gaining all this at what cost,” she says.
With endless content and highly personalised algorithms, scrolling can easily turn into an everyday habit. Aamrapali admits that it is not always easy to keep the phone aside. “With the amazing content people are making and the intelligent algorithms being used by such apps, it’s almost impossible to keep your phone aside,” she says. However, she believes that simple, old-school discipline can still help. “Discipline, punctuality and a timetable help best to manage your time,” she adds, suggesting that people should set aside a fixed hour or two for social media instead of letting it consume the entire day.
At the same time, Aamrapali feels social media cannot simply be labelled as a distraction. “If social media is time-consuming on one hand, it also gives us an idea of the ground reality of things happening in our country or globally,” she says. According to her, the way people respond to the same information ultimately depends on their individual mindset.
Opening up about the emotional impact of social media, Aamrapali admits that she too gets affected. “If I say it doesn’t, it will be a lie,” she says. Trolling, she adds, can eventually take a toll, but what hurts more is seeing family members, especially ageing parents, get affected by negative comments. “You have to look at it as all part and parcel of your profession and be ready to pay the price for success,” she concludes.
