Beyond Instagram Reels: Are We Losing the Art of Real....by Minakshi Banger
In a time where a 15-second video can fetch a million views, it’s fair to ask: Are we truly communicating anymore, or are we just performing? The art of real communication — the heart-to-heart talk, the pause, the nuance of silence, the sincerity behind words — seems to be dissolving into a flurry of filters, trending sounds, and perfectly choreographed snippets.
Instagram Reels, TikToks, and short-form videos may have opened new doors for expression, but they have also slammed shut the ones that once led to genuine connection. Let me start with a real-life incident.
During a recent workshop at a college in Chandigarh, I asked a group of students to engage in a simple exercise: talk to the person sitting next to them for five minutes without checking their phone. The room went quiet. Some giggled nervously; others simply stared at their desks. When they did begin, most conversations fizzled out within a minute or two.
Afterward, one student admitted, “I didn’t know what to talk about. We usually just tag each other in memes.” The Illusion of Connection We live in an age where you can share your thoughts with thousands of strangers but struggle to look a loved one in the eye and say, "I'm hurting."
Social media platforms have redefined communication from a dialogic act to a performance. Reels, especially, are structured to reward brevity, not depth or vulnerability. In 15 seconds, there’s little room for complex emotion.
The more you simplify, the more you fit in. The more you fit in, the more you disappear. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds, shorter than that of a goldfish. Is it any wonder, then, that we now prefer bite-sized content over books, long talks, or even movies? When Words Shrink, So Do Emotions "K.",
"Hmmm.", "LOL.", "OK.", "Seen." This is what our conversations look like today. The richness of language is being flattened. Sarcasm is misread.
Irony gets lost. Empathy becomes harder when you can't hear a voice quiver or see a tear roll down. Real communication involves tone, context, body language — all missing from the digital shorthand we now use. I once observed two teenagers chatting side by side, not with each other, but with their phones in hand, messaging each other despite being a foot apart.
One of them later said, "It’s easier that way. No awkward eye contact." Are we becoming so emotionally avoidant that we prefer blue ticks to blushing cheeks? The Performance Pressure Creating content is not inherently harmful.
It can be creative, expressive, and even healing. But the constant need to record, edit, upload, and wait for validation is turning communication into competition. When the goal is not to connect but to impress, something sacred gets lost.
A young dancer I once met told me she stopped dancing in front of people and started posting only Reels. "On stage, I felt judged," she said, "but online, I control everything — angle, lighting, filters." But what she didn’t realise is that the raw magic of art lies in the unedited.
Communication as a Two-Way Street Real communication means listening as much as speaking. It’s about understanding, responding, holding space. Not just waiting for your turn to speak, or worse, record.
Relationships suffer when messages become monologues. Families sit in the same room, each member scrolling, liking, sharing, but not speaking. I remember a dinner where a child kept tugging at her mother’s sleeve to say something. The mother, busy filming her food for Instagram, hushed her child without listening.
That child might grow up believing that screens deserve more attention than voices. What Can We Do? This isn't a rant against technology. It’s a call for balance. It’s about reclaiming our ability to speak, listen, feel, and connect.
Here are a few things we can all try:
1. Tech-Free Time: Set aside at least one hour a day where no screens are allowed. Use it to talk, walk, or just sit with someone.
2. Long-Form Conversations: Call a friend instead of texting. Better yet, meet in person. Let pauses happen. Let silence speak.
3. Journaling Over Posting: Instead of sharing everything online, write your thoughts down. Not for likes, but for clarity.
4. Mindful Sharing: Before you post, ask: Am I sharing to express or to impress? A Final Word Perhaps it's time to bring back the language of eye contact, undivided attention, and deep listening.
Maybe it’s time we remembered that not everything worth saying can be said in 15 seconds. Let Reels be reels. But let conversations be real. Let’s not just be seen. Let’s be understood.
June 25, 2025
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Minakshi Banger , Assistant Professor, Chandigarh University
minakshi7146@gmail.com
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