Podcast: Ananya Panday on Staying Real on Social Media

Hear what Ananya has to say.

Ananya Panday has launched a campaign against cyber bullying.

(Photo: The Quint)

Ahead of the launch of her anti-cyber bullying campaign ‘So Positive’, Ananya Panday spoke to The Quint about trying to be real on social media, dealing with trolls and taking acting classes.

Tune in to listen to what she has to say.

What happens a lot on social media is that celebrities and a lot of people who are influencers often put up stuff that is sometimes an unrealistic standard of beauty. Something that people cannot aspire to be because they don’t have those kind of resources, sometimes they just don’t look like that etc. and then become more vulnerable to shaming on social media, right?

No, it’s kind of crazy because I feel like the more followers I have the less conscious I have become in a way and I feel like I have realised this that people set unrealistic standards because I am also young as well. So I know when I look up to certain people in the West and when I’m following people even I sometimes feel like they’re wearing such nice outfits. I wish I had those and then I stop myself and say that I am happy with the way I am so I’m just trying to be as real as I can be on social media and sometimes I just post like I would if my Instagram was private. So I’m as real as I can be. I don’t think so much before posting because I don’t want to set unrealistic standards for young girls.

How invested are you in the social media game? Are you on it a lot? Do you feel like you have consciously disconnect from it?

No, I feel like I have grown up so much around social media. Since I was like 15 I have been on social media so it is just a part of my life I don’t think it’s a conscious effort that now I am going to post. It’s just I am sitting, eating pizza so I am going to post a picture of pizza. I am chilling with my friends I am going to post a picture of them. I don’t think so much and I think that’s the key to being real: don’t think too much.