The ease of accessing news, information and entertainment at the tap of a screen has also made it harder for people to step away from it. Arjan Bajwa believes the habit of constantly checking social media is affecting attention spans and turning an information-driven medium into an addiction.

The actor, who has been part of films such as Fashion, Rustom and Kabir Singh, says, “Social media is informative because it has largely replaced the editorial material we used to consume. It gives us access to information, news and ideas from across the world, but one has to strike a balance. We have become so addicted to Instagram and Facebook that the moment we are free, we pick up our phones to see what is happening. One has to consciously step away from the digital world and put the phone down. Digital detox is very important to maintain a balance between time and attention.”

While Arjan considers social media an important professional tool for actors, he believes they should be mindful of how much of their personal lives they share.

He says, “For actors, social media has become an important way to connect with the audience and give information about what’s happening in their professional space. There are also people who display their lives on social media because audiences are interested in knowing what their favourite actors are doing and how they are living. But there has to be a limit.”

He adds, “There are a lot of very big stars who are not on social media, and things are going absolutely fine for them as well. It’s one’s own choice how much you want to let people into your life and personal space. Actors also need to maintain a certain exclusivity or novelty about what they are doing. There has got to be a balance between maintaining a presence online and keeping people engaged and intrigued to know more about you.”