It’s the time to love social media

Creator after creator on social media has told me about the power of being grateful, and I remember them when I feel low. REPRESENTATION PIC/istock

I know we are all about digital detoxes at the end of year. We want to disconnect, disengage, and spend time in the real world. And, if you can focus on spending time with your loved ones, and stop looking at your phone, it's the best ever.

But for me, social media is also a source of motivation that I need at the end of a terribly, horribly, disastrous year. It's a year where people share the good, the bad, the ugly of the year gone by and hope for an amazing year ahead. And I think, it's in these candid ruminations that I find reasons to continue following my dreams, continue loving, and continue being who I am.

Personally, it's been a year where a parent has fallen sick, where a friendship finally reached a point of no return in the worst way possible (things sometimes only end when sh'' happens), where I have to say goodbye to a few amazing colleagues, where much time has been wasted, and many tears have been wept. I could say I have literally nothing to show for 2025, but that would be wrong, because I have learned gratitude - for people who love me, who show up every day, and this column (being one of those things).

But where did the benefits of gratitude get drilled into my head? Instagram. Creator after creator has told me about the power of being grateful, and I remember them when I feel low. Social media has also taught me about manifestation - I will be starting on my vision board this Sunday. It has taught me about following my dreams, and how to reset my life. It has taught me that anything is possible. Anything. Sometimes, when I am low, I am presented with a reel where someone reminds me: "Do you know who you are? You are a goddess, and a goddess doesn't chase!"

It's strange, but it works. I start thinking about who I am, and oh my god, I am a goddess. Thanks random influencer! You helped me today, more than you could imagine.

It has also helped when people share the struggle they went through to be where they are, become who they are. The 60-year-old who has abs, the 50-year-old who wrote a bestseller, then the 48-year-old who started a successful business - all so inspiring. They make me believe it's possible to start anew every day, month, and year.

Studies show that of course social media affects you negatively, and causes anxiety, and depression and fatigue, and disrupts your sleep patterns. But they also say that it depends on how you use social media - posting, commenting, sharing, could be inspiring, while doomscrolling will be detrimental.

I agree. I have forced myself to stop before I enter the mindless loop of watching one video after another. When I do that, I can almost feel my brain cells dying. But, I use it to pick up my mood every day - by choosing to consume content that makes me feel good about myself.

Screenwriter Dave Willis said this about social media: "Don't use social media to impress people, use it to impact people". And that, well, is the clincher. I love social media because I have found in it so many people who impact me - even if I never follow them, or find that reel again, but when they tell me to get over that bad thing that happened in my life, and get on and do amazing things with my talent, I believe it.

And so this December 31, I will spend time with people I love, and people who love me, and I will go on social media and look at all the happy people who are hoping 2026 to be great, and I will join them and feel the same. We will all be united in that wish. And so, it shall be.

Happy new year everyone!

Ranting and raving about all that's trending on social media, Aastha Atray Banan is an author, creator, podcaster, and the Editor of your favourite weekend read, Sunday mid-day. She posts at @aasthaatray on Instagram.
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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.