The Cost of Influencing Kashmir

As influencers gain power online, the line between expression and responsibility is thinning, and young minds are paying the price.

- Nazakat Aslam

The digital world in Kashmir has grown faster than anyone imagined.

Phones, data plans, and social media platforms have turned everyday users into public voices.

Influencers now sit where teachers, storytellers, writers, and cultural thinkers once stood.

A single reel or video can reach thousands within minutes, shaping opinions, trends, and attitudes in ways that felt impossible not long ago.

This shift brings energy, creativity, and possibility, though it also brings serious questions about direction and intent.

Many creators deserve recognition. Several invest time in documenting local history, celebrating dialects, explaining traditions, and reflecting on everyday life in the valley.

Some highlight small businesses, neighbourhood cafés, street vendors, and family-run shops, helping them attract customers and stay afloat.

Content like this strengthens community bonds and builds pride without shouting for attention.

Digital storytelling, when handled with care, opens doors that once stayed shut.

The problem begins when popularity becomes the sole goal.

Influence gives power, and power asks for responsibility. A growing number of online personalities seem detached from this truth. Feeds overflow with exaggerated performances, reckless claims, and content designed mainly to provoke reaction.

Substance slips to the margins as spectacle dominates attention. Clarity gives way to confusion, and screens overflow with noise that offers little lasting value.