Some conversations change the way you see things.

I post on social media often. But I wonder what the point of it all is. Sure, you get appreciation for your pics and videos, comments on your opinions, and you reciprocate too. What next?

It has become increasingly performative. You play to a gallery of hundreds or thousands of followers, millions if you're a successful "influencer." The larger the audience, the less authentic you tend to be.

Well, you're connecting with people, exchanging a lot of information and perspectives. There's bonding, awareness, entertainment, and, on professional networks, real learning and advancement.

I've never really been on social media much, an occasional "peeping Tom." It's certainly interesting, but also quite overwhelming. Makes me wonder, like Arun, what does one gain from all this? Am I wiser? Happier?

If you like connecting with people, love the vibes, like to post and engage; all in moderation, you'll enjoy social media. Just stay away from toxic people and posts, and don't let it turn into a habit you can't put down.

Fair enough, moderation would help. But if I'm honest, I've been on social media since the Orkut days — it used to be a happy, exciting place. Over time, people became more and more performative and combative, and now it just draws me in, distracting me all day for next to nothing.

Yes, like other media, sensational views, put-on appearances, and exaggerated accounts of your life and work attract more attention than authentic thoughts. The one honest story gets lost in the noise.

And the less said about data privacy, the better. Every day it's another platform misusing my data, another mile-long privacy term sheet I'm forced to agree to. Why doesn't my data belong to me anymore?

Telling stories is exciting, and being authentic brings us closer. Technology should help me write for myself first. Then I can decide what I want to share with others, and how much of it.

So if you maintain a journal of your stories, it could bring you happiness and maybe even wisdom. Stories about real-life activities would be both true-to-life and energising.

They'd be fun too. Imagine waking up early to run 5 km, and at 3.8 km, coffee and freshly baked butter cookies at your favourite spot got the better of you. An occasional slip-up, but that's exactly what makes the story human.

What would make this even more fun and human is if you are able to bring the story to life with visuals. That shouldn't mean distracting yourself with selfies, or worse, falling into social performance again.

If I'm in an activity — say a run, a road trip, shopping, family time, baking a cake, even a work presentation — I want to be in the moment, not taking selfies. The only FOMO I want is missing out on life!

I second that, Jahnavi. It would be great to enjoy an unhindered activity and let technology help turn it into a story afterwards. As an artist, or even otherwise, I'm a fan of comic stories.

We bring authentic, human-made comic art to technology — no AI — and users bring their own authentic stories to it. That way there's the joy of recreating; you relive the experience, and revitalise yourself through slow, focused thinking about your own worth.

Great! A different way of telling stories: a safe space to journal for yourself and then decide what you wish to put out there for others to see. Somewhere to go anytime I want a break from social media and just be myself.