'The likes and followers on your social media don't define your true worth,' says mental health coach Anu Krishna.
Interview: Divya Nair/Rediff
Video: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff, Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
Influencer and entrepreneur Misha Agarwal had the perfect life on social media. Or so it seemed.
The 24 year old came across as a bright, intelligent girl who loved posting smiling selfies and flashing her achievements to the digital world.
Until one day, on April 24, 2025, two days before her 25th birthday, Misha decided to end her life.
There were signs of distress, but no real warning.
According to her sister, Misha was disturbed by the decrease in the number of her followers.
'My little baby sister had built her world around Instagram and her followers, with a single goal of reaching 1 million followers and gaining loving fans. When her followers started decreasing, she became distraught and felt worthless.
'Since April, she had been deeply depressed, often hugging me and crying, saying, 'Jijja, what will I do if my followers decrease? My career will be over,' the note on her Instagram said.
Misha's tragic suicide raises an important question: Is social media secretly stealing your happiness?
In the aspiration for perfection, are we unknowingly feeding our emptiness?
When you spend hours consuming sponsored reels and filtered images, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparison where everyone else may seem to be happier and more successful than you.
When this happens for the first time, pause and reach out for help!
"The likes and followers on your social media don't define your true worth," reminds Anu Krishna, mental health coach and co-founder of Unfear Changemakers.
If social media is making you feel ignored or less happy, it's a warning for self-reflection. Don't let the scroll control you!
"You can't say No to social media, but you can definitely choose how how you respond to it," Anu advises while highlighting the power of choice.
In the first of a five-part series on mental health and wellbeing, watch Anu Krishna's advice on how to take charge of your social media.