A young CA-turned travel influencer from Mumbai, Aanvi Kamdar, tragically died last week after she slipped and fell into a 300 ft. gorge near Kumbhe waterfall, Mangaon, in Maharashtra. Multiple reports claimed that the youngster was shooting a video for social media and slipped while doing that.
Last month, a young boy in Madhya Pradesh died while pretending to hang himself for a social media reel. After returning from school on June 21, 11-year-old Karan Parmar played with his friends on a vacant plot near his house. The group of children then started performing a risky stunt in hopes of recording a viral reel. As part of the stunt, the boy pretended to hang himself with a rope from a tree. They were allegedly imitating a stunt they came across online.
In April this year, a 19-year-old youth died after falling into a Lucknow Municipal Corporation water tank in Aashisna reportedly while making a reel late at night.
A woman in Bihar’s Begusarai allegedly hatched a plan with her lover, two sisters and strangled her husband after he objected to her making Instagram Reels on viral songs, the police said. Police have arrested the woman and also detained her two sisters for questioning in connection with the case.
All these tragedies point out to the dark side of social media. The obsession to become a social media influencer by making Reels to increase followers, has gone to such an accident that it is encouraging risky behaviour from the reel makers, which more often than not, is leading to a tragic end.
Instagram Reels, known for their bite-sized, engaging videos, have garnered immense popularity, drawing users into a continuous loop of entertainment. Yet, a recent exploration into the consequences of unrestrained Reel consumption reveals a darker reality that has largely gone unnoticed.
The addictive nature of Instagram and Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts has triggered concerns about its impact on mental health. The constant stream of curated content, accompanied by flashy transitions and catchy soundtracks, can create an insatiable desire for more. Users find themselves entrapped in a cycle of scrolling, often unaware of the time slipping away.
Mental health experts caution against the potential negative effects of prolonged exposure to such content. The constant comparison with idealised lives and polished personas showcased in Reels can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. The relentless pursuit of perfection portrayed in these short videos can fuel unrealistic expectations, leaving individuals dissatisfied with their own lives.
But the lure of money is too tempting to control the risky behavioural instincts while making the Reels. Here are some number crunching facts about Reels in India. Nearly 2.35 billion people interact with Reels every month; 2.5 billion people will engage with the reel feature in times to come; India has the biggest user base for the Instagram Reels feature; Reels get 22% more interaction than standard video postings while the majority of reel’s audience is from the 25 to 34 age group.
The reason India has a huge amount of Reel engagement is due to a couple of things, firstly its vast population and other being the ban of TikTok in 2020. India, with such a high internet-using audience, doesn’t have access to TikTok, which makes Instagram Reels a huge thing in the country. The only direct competitor is YouTube Shorts.
According to reports, Instagram is paying people thousands of dollars to create Reels. Payout happens on Reels that get at least 1000 views over 30 days. To get these views, the Reel makers go to any lengths that include throwing caution to the wind. This not only puts the lives of Reel makers in danger but also others as well.
The youngsters have to realise that Reel life does not matter. It is the real life which matters as it is too precious to lose it at the cost of views and some money, both of which are superficial. Losing life for this is not worth it.