The loss of influencer Misha Aggarwal, who committed suicide due to falling follower numbers on social media, comes as a shock. Actress Shivangi Verma, who has worked in shows like Tera Ishq Mera Fitoor, Choti Sarrdaarni and movie Badass Ravi Kumar, says that it is very sad that such things are happening.

“I know this is really, really sad because I’m also in the same boat when it comes to the social media race. So I can understand how she must have felt. These days, people have made social media their whole life. But I just want to say please, make social media only a part of your life, not your entire life,” he says.

 She adds, “Use social media for what it is, something that’s important, yes, but not more than your real life. Your real life is with your family, your faith, your hobbies, and your creative space especially for us actors. Social media has helped me too. In fact, I’ve received a lot of casting opportunities through it, so I’m not saying it’s useless or wrong. But I remember someone who was always worried, ‘What if my followers go down? What will happen then?’ She was an entrepreneur and very creative, but she lived in fear of losing online validation.”

Talking about her personal social media journey, she says, “I’ve also been trolled on social media. People post rude comments without any filter. That’s why I don’t read the comment section. No matter how well I dance or how nice my photos are, there are always some people who will say something negative or even cheap. So my advice is don’t look at the comments. Just ignore them. If possible, there should be filters on these platforms that automatically block hateful or body-shaming comments.To all influencers, actors, and even non-industry people please treat social media as just something fun. Don’t take it too seriously. At the end of the day, it is what it is.”