No to virality, yes to authenticity

Youngsters creating a reel for social media. I also feel being authentic could be the only way to be consistent and not get burnt out at the prospect of making content, or even consuming it. Representation pic/istock

It's so hard to not give in to the greed of going viral. It makes you want to try everything - dancing to Tyla's Chanel, or trying to ace some Gen Z trend - to be seen, to be liked, and to matter.

But as a creator myself, I have to say it's a tiring endeavour. How can one pretend to make a reel, or follow a trend, or viral hook, when it doesn't connect to who we are?

Why would we want to be sheep on social media, when we can be Jonathan Livingston Seagull? Growing up, the Richard Bach book of the same name was my favourite. It tells the story of Jonathan the seagull, who doesn't just want to spend his life conforming, but wants to soar high, and fly harder, faster and higher. His flock doesn't relate and banishes him, but Jonathan is happy because he is following his purpose in life.

And I feel that analogy can be followed on social media as well. Why can't we all bring our unique selves to the online world and inspire others to be authentic and unique? For example, one of my favourite creators is alexreadstarot, whose daily tarot readings are not about telling you what you want to hear but to help you introspect.

Or Mumbai chef poojadhingra who talks about the good, bad and ugly of her life, in the most normal way possible. I always find myself in her content.

Or photographer hashimbadani who always has a gorgeous, yet muted way of looking at places and things, especially Mumbai.

Also, I never feel they are following a template or trying to go viral. They are just sharing who they are, what they see, feel and what they know. And I love that, and as a creator, I want to be do the same - create content when I truly have something to say and make it in the way that feels most authentic to me.

I also feel being authentic could be the only way to be consistent and not get burnt out at the prospect of making content, or even consuming it. If we are online, who we are offline, then we never have to adjust and pretend. Even if we are not creators and just spending our mornings and evenings on social media to relax and catch up with the world, being authentic with what we share - be it a picture of dal chawal for lunch or a comfy night in - will help us connect to like-minded people. And that's the true fun of being online.

I am going to end by quoting famous TED speaker and author Brené Brown, "Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are". Imagine all the people, living in authenticity? Oh what a wonderful (online) world that would be.

See you next week.

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. Send your feedback tomailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.