SHIVIN NARANG: SOCIAL MEDIA PORTRAYS A FACADE OF HAPPINESS AND PERFECTION, WHILE REALITY COULD BE QUITE DIFFERENT.”

Actor Shivin Narang wants to take a break from social media. Shivin, who was last seen in Beyhadh 2, says social media started as an entertainment platform and was all about sharing interesting things about your lives, but it is now leading to stress and makes people lose touch with reality.

Shivin says “Social media along with mobile phones was an additional facility and technological advancement in our lives. In the past, social media was more about promoting your work or entertaining yourself with information during your free hours. But now I feel that everyone is spending hours on their phones and social media platforms. I think it's a waste of time. I feel it's making our generation weaker in terms of focus on work and relationships. Social media portrays a facade of happiness and perfection while reality could be quite different.”

It's an era of excessive information, he points out. “Through social media, we are more informed about what's happening in the world. But sometimes I wonder if we need so much information or is it better to focus more on our lives? In one word, I'd describe it as one of the biggest distractions. It can be useful, but I am seeing that it is actually consuming us. I believe we've stopped living our lives and pass time checking other's lives through our screens. That's the most significant change brought about by social media. I'm actively working on limiting its influence on my life, and I might quit social media platforms,” he says.

The actor also shares how social media usage is resulting in no personal growth. He says, “In my personal life, I am not leading a very disciplined lifestyle and one of the reasons for this is the amount of time we spend in front of our screens. We neglect working on things which are important for personal growth. It is important to set goals, stay physically active and adopt some old-school practices like journaling. These help in time management and to reduce stress levels," says Shivin.