The TEDx Talk That Got Cancelled Because of Covid-19
I was supposed to give my TEDx Talk but Covid-19 is my villain. Here is what I had prepared. This is what I came up with. Have a good glance over my perception of ‘Digital Storytelling’
*(Do not forget to smile during the whole talk. Have an affirmative body language when the content requires)*
Good xxx ladies and gentleman! If I could ask you how many of you own a smartphone? Oh, I am enjoying that freakish smiles on your faces.
Well, you might say, duh! I know I am not going to get brownie points on questioning this.
Okay. This (take out your smartphone) is the 79th organ of my body. I am sure it is yours too and you are probably holding it right now in your hands.
It is the most swaying technology in human history! And what does this mean, more people have access to smartphones along with internet than access to clean drinking water or necessities of life?
So, to begin, you might think why am I smiling away to glory since I came on stage? Well, I am too conscious that someone in the audience might take an ugly photo of me and post it online!
No, I don’t want this to happen with me or who even would love that? Girls???? What do you think? (put it up humorously)
I had a moment of epiphany. Of all the eye contacts with the girls (and boys), I am getting. Back in 2018, I was celebrating 10 Years of Sweet Rejections! WOW! Yes, you can laugh it out loud!
Uhmm… August 29, 2008 (in a sad tone) — It all started on this day, I was popularly being called an “Unproposed Guy”.
BUT BUT I want to add on that I am “happily married” now! Oh, yes! Lucky me… but seriously back then no female found me attractive or fell for me!??
What is your story? I am sure everybody, has one and most want to share their stories and experiences or maybe have already put it up on their Social Media posts or stories. Am I right? Or am I right?
Okay to clear the confusion you might be having by now….
Let me introduce myself to you, I am a successful author of 3 published books presently. I started to write creative, crazy and weird pieces while I was pursuing Mechanical Engineering.
Well, yeah! Now turned professional content writer and a founder of ‘Write Right’ — a 4-year-old independent content writing company, primarily targeting businesses and start-ups with the technological background.
This digital age is not new, but it is different! We, as humans, absorb stories more readily than facts and figures. We connect with them. Most importantly, we try to remember them.
That is the art of storytelling.
Did you put a check in “attending Tedx Talk with 100 others” I bet you are all on social media. At least one platform. 50% of you would be on Twitter, 90% would be on Instagram & Facebook. The remaining 10% would be stalking the other 90% secretly (*bhavik smiles*) These are the ones who know who went to Goa with whom.. Or who is supporting CAA, or who adopted a street cat.
How do we know all this about each other? Basically we are sharing stories with each other every day. Once upon a time, it used to be only verbal. Our ancestors did it for us. Now we are doing it for each other — but digitally. This phenomenon has been given a cool name “Digital storytelling”.
With the use of technology, storytelling has become widely informative and successful in terms of creating a major impact on people’s lives. I believe that to gather a better understanding of social media is when you start telling your own story, inspire and educate people from every realm and corner. Digital storytelling has become one of the key elements for businesses as they depend on social media. It is simply communication done through stories which include pictures, audio, music, texts. Digital storytelling also develops language and ideas, bring out the creativity in us.
I am sure that most of you are spending, a considerable amount of time, on social media. Is there anyone who does not have an account on Facebook, or any of the other Social Media platform?
I am guessing, none of them!
We ought to consider that Social media has become an integral part of life for many young generations in today’s world. Perhaps, the impacts of Social Media on youth is also quite evident in distinct frames of our lives.
We have seen digital media used as a key tool to turn out hundreds of thousands of people with very short notice to protest on banning CAA/NRC, attacks on LGBTQ or Immigrant Rights, the Women’s March or continued #BlackLivesMatter and more.
Heraclitus, the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, once said: “Change is the only thing constant in life”.
And the year 2017 was proof of the change that was seen all across the globe as Social Media made an influential impact on many lives.
From #MeToo a social media movement called out to those who have been sexually abused to speak out — in two simple words: Me Too to #MeNOMore and #AintNoCinderella, many hashtags urged people to uplift their voices.
The influence was such that Time named Burke, among a group of other prominent activists dubbed “the silence breakers”, as the Time Person of the Year for 2017.
But, that’s not all. Social media became a platform for many people who have emerged as change-makers throughout these years.
Steve Jobs has quoted very strongly that “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
One needs to understand certainly that content which is more creative than the other will always have a better influence on the audience and with that must be the aim. The motive of digital story telling is to capture people’s attention and to involve them in fruitful way. It is a constant practice to improve your storytelling and enhance your content to attract more audiences. The very first step is to understand social media platforms and to know how they work then one must know how to make social media work for themselves. The most valuable aspect of story telling digitally is that they are only minutes long and with that time duration one can gather more and more information about personal narratives and to be informative and instructional.
Jim Blasingame said:
“In a time of rapidly compounding technology generations, the most successful businesses will consistently deliver high touch to customers with one of out oldest traits… the telling of a story.”
Let us dig deeper and try to discuss and understand the impact this digital storytelling has on us — as individuals and as a society on the whole.
Digital storytelling is stronger than ever today because social media is so strong. These things you read on online platforms have the power to take you to another world. This reminds of a famous quote by JK Rowling. “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.” JK Rowling is a very smart lady. And she’s right of course.
*(Talk about awareness)*
Digital Storytelling has made today’s youth more conscious. We understand and react to sensitive issues that were not discussed in our society once upon a time. At least not as openly as we do now. But in our time now, topics like menstrual health & hygiene are being talked about. Many of my friends who are girls share posts on their social media expressing how they feel about this cycle of nature. I appreciate how they discuss it since it is a very important fragment of their bodies & our lives. The most important maybe.
Talking about social media posts, information is actively circulated in timelines, pages and people get access to stories that are written. Knowing how to tell a story in social media is how you can learn to engage your audience as they connect with what they are reading as their personal refection. The conventional form of literacy will always surpass the sophistication of technology. I believe posts on Facebook have the ability to capture people and to redirect their thought pattern redirect. Posts create immense impact as they can influence and change greater responsibilities and make people have an opinion. In facebook we like to read what one has to say and then we also provide with our own opinions.
Another quote:
“The importance of stories? They give great pleasure. They divert if you’re troubled. They stir memories, Stories make us laugh together. They make us aware of the shared experiences in life. Isn’t that important?”
~ Kathryn Windham, Author, Award-Winning Reporter, Professional Storyteller
Whatsapp stories on the other hand are quick watch and most of us are regular with them. From videos to pictures and messages are accessed by our friends in the contact list and they stay aware with our activities. Whatapp is a widely used app that we operate on a daily basis and we tend to check people’s stories with their personal updates, their current, joys, tragedy’s and what not. We get to be aware and get to look into people’s worlds with the help of storytelling exclusively and vice-versa. We globally depend on social media to connect to people and to learn about their activities. Therefore, if you can use the power of storytelling, your stories will be highlight according to the demand of the audience. Whatsapp stories are very easy to check and one can simply have their own story to highlight every day.
Coming to facebook statuses, where 90 percent of the world feeds on information, stories are definitely a very important thing to connect to people and to know their stories. You can see facebook stories no matter where you are accessing from. If you are more of a facebook user you must be aware of the kind stories people upload and how they are relevant as well. You also must be knowing the number of followers come on facebook because of the right influences and that is why one must make sure they get proper creative and innovative ideas to attract more and more people. I feel that if you are capable of creating your own stories and to know what you need and how you need to do it.
In our times, we are more aware of the hardships that people in different sections of the world face. We are not freedom fighters and we might never have the kind of spirit which Bhagat Singh or Rajguru had. Still we raise our voice in support or against issues like CAA. You do, right?
*(Talk about how we give space to each others’ opinions)*
We give a lot of space to each others’ point of view. At least on the face of it, we do! Some of us do get into quarrels in the comments section of a post (say with a smile). Let us raise our hand if we have been in that situation. *(Bhavik raises his hand)* *(Bhavik asks someone from the audience to share his experience)*
Till the point we are thinking independently and our thoughts are not being jeopardized, it is absolutely fine. In a way, we are helping each other be more self confident
*(Talk about identity formation)*
Digital storytelling is helping us build our unique personalities. We share our personal experiences. On LinkedIn, we share what is happening in our professional lives. We show off, we take pride in our achievements, and why not? Why should we not?
If you get an award today, you will tell everyone about it. If you are going to Bali tomorrow, you want to put a check in. No qualms about it. *(Say this with very easy yet affirmative body language)* You build yourself as a brand.
How does digital storytelling help ? — We know whom to connect with need arises. We can make a direct connection with just anybody on this planet. This was totally impossible once upon a time. But we are doing it in our time.
It is helping build businesses. Thousands of MSME’S have come up because of digitization of content. I am one! This directly helps to grow our economy. It is generating employment. Our age is probably seeing the highest number of entrepreneurs than ever.
It is educating us, inspiring us. Giving us the authority & responsibility to shape our nation’s future. Rather the whole planet I would say. Things get viral in a jiffy you know. Consider what you want to achieve. Even the tiniest hashtag you put, thousands of teens could be following that hashtag. Try to perceive the impact of your post on them. We do get inspired by our entrepreneur friends & high achieving colleagues. Similarly, you are also an inspiration to somebody out there. Someone is looking up to you & following your travel stories.
This discussion on the impact of digital storytelling is endless. So we must THINK — post Truth, Help, Inspire, post the Necessary, be Kind. And that’s the reason why this media is called “social”!
Digital mediums are being used in ways that shape politics, business, culture, academics, innovation, and more.
The positive impact of social media is in the sharing of information in today’s world.
Digital technology is entwined into our daily lives as it is with everyone I know. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others have made it possible to access information at the click of a button. The first thing I do when I wake up is usually to check my phone for messages and news or scroll through Instagram stories/post or Twitter to help wake myself up. It is now that more than 50% of people in the world get the breaking news from a social media platform. I find it to be of great help and a relaxing way to see what’s happening in the world without necessarily engaging. I also often use resources online when I’m struggling to fall asleep, as there is a variety of rich content and most of it is free!
Without question, many of us are far more connected to stories and information than we have ever been.
Today, we digitally share things on Social Media that are perhaps not that most important.
We have the power of choice, and the power to change the world all while taking the perfect selfie, this is the most beautiful thing of Social Media.
be responsible enough to change or help change change the world!
Before you leave Tedx today and wander off, I want you to ponder about a few questions. And these questions are how are you going to use Social Media? How are you going to influence the impact of social media on society? How are you going to change the world through digital storytelling? How?
By telling your story!
Well, that’s my time and that’s the message I brought to you today! in regards with the impact of digital storytelling.
See you on the Internet! My name’s Bhavik Sarkhedi.
Thank You very, very much!
