A Moment with Manasi - Chief Advisor of Leave the Feed

Today we spotlight the Chief Advisor of Leave the Feed, Manasi Patil, with curious questions about her life, passion for empowering Gen Z, and role in helping her peers use social media with purpose.

Where do you live, and if we visited you, where would you take us, and why?

I live in Mumbai, India. Famously termed as the ‘city that never sleeps’, Mumbai has plenty of spots of significance that, for my part, question my perspectives on life each time I visit. I would love to take someone new to the city to Marine Drive, a beautiful promenade. With a spectacular view of the sea, it is also quite a sight to behold during evenings and at night. Hawkers, people rushing to offices, balloon sellers, guitarists, taxis, a variety of artists - Marine Drive represents Mumbai so aptly- always pacing. The diverse crowds, and the way of life; the whole picture always fascinates me.

What inspires you about life, drives you to be the best version of yourself, and creates positive change in the communities you’re part of?

I believe in the magic of time. In the context of life, it never ceases to be, you know? All that you can be, all that you want to be, has to be done in the present moment. If you’ve made mistakes, they are in the yesterdays. I like this perspective on life- you can start anew each day. The very fact that time never pauses, inspires me to keep going, though at my own pace. I look up to quite some people in my life, and the way they lead boosts me add to the community with my skills and perspectives.

Aside from being an author, you’ve also been featured in a book titled, Young Changemakers: Changing the World One Story At a Time, which shares how teens use social media for good.

What’s a piece of advice you would tell your younger self about social media?

I would definitely advise my younger self to realize the potential social media has to grow yourself and create a positive change in the community. By being mindful of how much screen time you expose yourself to, what you share, and that your privacy is protected, you can use social media to learn and escalate yourself. I believe it is important that teenagers are aware of the two sides of social media.

Leave the Feed’s 3-Minute social media survey of more than 500 global teens found that 68% of respondents agree that social media harms society’s mental health.

Does that surprise you? Why, or why not?

Unfortunately, I don’t find myself much surprised. In schools and colleges, a large number of teens are losing their mental peace due to social media. This might be because they are subjected to a whole array of the ‘best moments’ of people’s life, with the users feeling the constant need to fill the voids they believe they have in their lives. This leads to anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. I think a way to reduce this problem can be making teens aware of the brighter side of social media- networking, collaborating, learning, feedback, and self-expression.

The survey also stated that 56% of respondents want to spend less time on social media. What do you think is holding them back?

A severe addiction to using social media, perhaps in study/work breaks, using it to fill in time, might be why the respondents find it difficult to stay off social media. For some, the apps can become a way of channeling their thoughts and expressing themselves freely, perhaps unlike in their daily lives. This is why though they want to spend less time on social media, they can’t let go. But a significant amount would probably be addicted to the endless loop of content easily available on social media, often termed as the ‘dopamine supply’.

Leave the Feed. Not Anti-Social. We’re Pro Connection. What does this movement mean to you, and why are you helping to lead the charge?

Leave the Feed. Not Anti-Social. We’re Pro Connection. The movement, as the name goes, isn’t ‘anti-social’, but takes steps to reduce such social media usage that is addictive, and time-consuming, while the consequences being anxiety and hindrance towards mental peace.

Everyone has unique skills and talents that can be put forward to create positive change in their community. But social media, for many, is depriving us of being creative and productive, trying new stuff, leading a mindful life. To me, the Leave the Feed movement is an incredible way to promote mindful living and being conscious of our social media consumption. The fact that it is also cross-generational movement further strengthened my will to be a part of the movement.

Lastly, please share some words of wisdom on using social media with purpose.

It comes down to having defined principles for yourself and taking time to think about how social media has been affecting your growth recently and how you can alter that to benefit you.

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