The Reels Generation

The chase for digital fame is replacing the valley's centuries-old tradition of learning and reflection.

- Muzamil Farooq

Ten years ago, a Kashmiri child’s ambition might’ve been to become a doctor, a poet, or an engineer. But today, many dream of becoming a “content creator.”

The smartphone camera has replaced the classroom as the center of aspiration. And for a growing number of young Kashmiris, fame, measured in likes, followers, and comments, has become the new form of achievement.

The shift represents a cultural and intellectual crisis unfolding before our eyes.

Social media in Kashmir has turned into a parallel education system, except that it teaches nothing. Children as young as ten scroll through a constant feed of short videos that reward visibility over substance.

These platforms thrive on algorithms that understand one thing: what captures attention fastest.

A fifteen-second clip of mimicry or dance triggers a surge of dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical.

Over time, this becomes a loop of craving and reward. Reading a book or solving a math problem cannot compete with that kind of instant thrill.

This change is a social shift that could redefine how an entire generation thinks and values itself.

School now feels dull, thinking slow, and reflection useless. In its place comes a habit of endless scrolling, shallow expression, and the illusion of being “seen.”