More than just Like, Share, Subscribe: Using social media to create meaningful connections

Combining forces for good

In 2018, while browsing through Facebook, Kunal Jhawar, 30, happened to come across Kshitiz Kakodkar’s, 31, profile on a networking group. As both were entrepreneurs in the media field, they decided to meet up and from there emerged their combined venture — kalArt. Jhawar is a poet, and Kakodkar is focused on art. They joined forces and now the two manage and produce spoken word content and help other spoken word artistes as well.

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Kakodkar lives in Mumbai while Jhawar resides in Pune and they manage their business remotely, meeting a few times a year. “I met Kshitiz when I wanted to start my own YouTube channel. But when we started talking, things took on a different shape and here we are. We met each other thanks to the Internet and continue to operate our business online,” says Jhawar.

They also connect with and meet their clients online, as the spoken word scene has been booming over the past few years.

Friendship strikes a chord

While scrolling through his timeline, Sukrit Chandel, 18, came across Aastha Johar’s, 18, profile. They first interacted in July 2021 when Chandel responded to Johar’s tweet. Johar hails from Chandigarh, Chandel’s mother’s hometown and their interactions continued. Chandel says, “I started to look forward to Aastha’s replies.”

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With many common interests, the extroverts realised they were alike. They had dabbled in stand-up comedy, were born at the same maternity hospital and under the same gynecologist. Friendship bloomed and after “three months of non-stop banter, gossip and study sessions later, I went over to Chandigarh to meet her,” shares Chandel. Over lunch, he met Johar’s parents and he says it didn’t feel like they were meeting for the first time. The two also learnt that their mothers were batch mates in college, which further cemented their friendship. “She is my personal stand-up comedian. But she’s also my rock and support system,” quips Chandel.

Love knows no bounds

Shoaib Ahmed, 26, from Bengaluru was mesmerised with Aashna Khan, 26, when he first saw her in his mutual friend’s photo on Facebook. He sent her a friend request and they got talking. This was in 2011. But as time passed, they grew distant.

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In 2016, Ahmed decided to reach out again and found Khan on Instagram. Even with the passage of time, their friendship remained the same and they picked up right from where they left. He says, “I was looking through each and every profile, trying to find her. I liked her, but the intention was always simple, to be friends.” In 2021, when everyone in his circle was getting married, he began wondering if he was going to have his happy ever after. “In my previous relationships, I never had the kind of feelings that I have for Aashna.” He finally told her how he felt in January this year and the feelings were mutual. While they are currently in a long-distance relationship, the two plan to get married soon with their families’ blessings.

Love blossomed

Jovita, 29, and Shannon Pereira, 35, begun talking on Facebook in 2014, when he reached out to her. Mistaking him for a girl, due to his unisex name, she responded to him. Since he was working aboard, he was “completely straightforward from the start, because he knew he was here just for a few days,” explains Jovita. They both lived in Mumbai in the same locality and met the same day. The two ended up talking the entire evening. When Shannon travelled back to the UAE, they continued to have a long-distance relationship for over three years.

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A few months before they could get married, Shannon quit his job and came back to India. The two have been together for eight years now and they are parents to a daughter and a dog. “We often talk about how things have changed. It feels like yesterday when we met for the first time, and now we are married and have a child together. It is very surreal, especially since it started from a Facebook chat,” says Jovita with a smile.

No business like blog business

Prarthana Vyavahare, 21, from Pune took a break from the stress of preparing for her medical exams in 2019. But not one to sit idle, she rekindled her love for writing and began blogging on current affairs. She came across Ashish Kamble, 25, and Manoj Khetan, a civil engineer and a graphic designer, respectively, on Twitter.

Kamble reached out to her for writing advise and after a long call, they started working on her blog. Wanting to intern for her, Khetan also reached out for a job. Since Vyavahare had noticed his work, “we welcomed him in to our team”.

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Despite living in different cities — Pune, Aurangabad and Surat — they publish three articles a day. “Our work allowed us to start growing our team. We are now an artiste-promoting platform,” explains Vyavahare.

In spite of the remarkable growth they have witnessed and numerous work calls, they have never actually met in-person.