Ananya Panday bats for positive social media

She may be one of India’s most endearing stars of this generation, and her date calendar may be filled with the most prestigious engagements, thanks to her star power and honest portrayal of every role she has essayed, but through it all, Ananya Panday is unswervingly true to herself.

In Chennai for an event, Ananya made time for fans and well-wishers, and even stopped to say hello to hotel security staff. “I love to make someone’s day,” she says and adds, “Everyone’s got a job to do and mine is on the big screen for which I am better known; but even the common man who greets us or comes our way deserves our warmth. I believe in making people’s day by just smiling, if nothing else.”

Speaking of her commitment to ‘Digital Social Responsibility’, Ananya shares, “Social media, once hailed as a revolutionary tool for connectivity and communication, often unfortunately becomes an unregulated space where our youth and children are exposed to various hostilities like cyber bullying and online harassment, sometimes even addictions to gaming and substances.”

Ananya, who began ‘So positive’ her NGO that focuses on digital social responsibility, says, “I want to be an advocate for positive social media behaviour and digital social responsibility; I am committed to fostering a healthy online environment through my initiative. ‘So Positive’ stands for ‘social positivity.’ We aim to create awareness about healthy social media behaviour and the toxicity that can infiltrate social media platforms if not dealt with correctly.”

With emerging cases of children being groomed for sexual abuse online, and other toxic behaviour, she seems to be on a mission to push for social media environments “that fit the contours of a progressive and harmonious society and empower individuals to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.” She says, “There are many content creators and influencers who are using digital media to spread awareness of health, fitness, parenting and even building confidence. Content like this must be amplified; but then there are those who use social media to spread false narratives. We need to have protocols that control this. Misinformation is the biggest danger to society.”

With statistics and research findings at her fingertips, Ananya says, “Indian children are the most cyber-bullied in the world, with over 33% experiencing online harassment. Whether it is bullying, shaming or hostile language being used, social media has far-reaching consequences for the recipients.”

On nepotism

“We have to understand that trolling someone for being someone’s son or daughter and expecting them to choose a profession that you approve of is also unfortunate social media behaviour. We must open our minds to allow individuals to prove themselves rather than label them and expect them to fit into professions you want them to fit into.”