Ujjain Social Media Confluence-2024: ‘Whether We Are Users Or Used By Social Media Is The Biggest Question’

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): ‘Ujjain Social Media Confluence-2024’ was organised at the Golden Jubilee Auditorium of Vikram University, here on Sunday under the joint aegis of Vishwa Samvad Kendra Malwa and School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Social media activists and influencers from Ujjain and Agar districts gathered at the event, where renowned social media influencers from across the country engaged in discussions on various topics.

Addressing the inaugural session, Kailash Chandra, regional publicity head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said that we are all active users of social media, as well as content creators and influencers. Every individual has their own aura and sphere of influence. Currently, 64 per cent of the global population and 32 per cent of India’s population are social media users.

However, the biggest question today is whether we are the users or the ones being used. Is the mobile controlling you, or are you controlling the mobile? This is something we must understand. Are we under someone else’s influence, or is someone else under our influence? Hence, social media influencers must be mindful of whether the content they post aligns with nation’s interests, he added.

Vice-chancellor Prof Arpan Bhardwaj stated that the social media acts as sentinel of the nation. He remarked that both visible and invisible forces are either presenting ideals of beauty or emerging before us as unseen powers. Numerous attempts are being made to weaken our nation, but our social media warriors are courageously countering them. Today, as we return to our roots, a new hope has awakened in the country.

Dialogue is the only solution to all conflicts, which is why platforms of dialogue, known to us as social media, become crucially important.  The event was conducted in four sessions. In the first session, Abhinav Khare, co-founder of AI FINTECH, engaged with social media influencers on ‘The war of narratives against India and Hindutva’.

In the second session, Tripti Shrivastava, consulting Editor of weekly magazine ‘Panchjanya’ spoke on ‘The relevance of social media’. She emphasised that social media has given birth to a new ideology. It is important to evaluate whether a 30-second reel serves a purpose or not.

In the third session, prominent Supreme Court counsel Ashwini Upadhyay engaged in a discussion on ‘The role of social media in social harmony’. He stated that the entire Indian Constitution aims to achieve the goal of social harmony. In the fourth session, Deepali Patvadkar, Indologist, author and educationist spoke on ‘The auspicious symbols of Indian culture’.