Gen Z in 3 words according to Kalya:
Creative, passionate, visionary!
"Don't aim to be someone great, be someone useful." - an advice from Kalya's dad
The silver lining in this pandemic is that we get to see humanity's resilience in connecting and helping each other up. For Youth Pledge Day last month, I had the pleasure of chatting with an inspiring individual. A chat cross generation from a 90s baby Millenial to a freshly graduated Gen Z, breaking barriers of stereotypes and instead taking time to learn from each other.
Kalya Isla Madina is known as an influencer to other technology savvy gen Z with her huge following in instagram, but asides from that, she is also a hardworking and diligent student who just embarked on university amidst of the pandemic and a mental health advocate. I was glad to have spent a low-key weekend with her just us girls conversing about life, what we believe, and mostly supporting what each other stand for.
Who is Kalya and what is her persona in Social Media?
Kalya is a humble, bubbly, and cheerful family oriented girl who looks outgoing in instagram but is actually a homebody by heart. She takes this lockdown thing pretty well compared to the rest of us. She just graduated high school and she uses her free time to paint, read books, watch anime, and create TikTok videos and Instagram content in her down time like any other Gen Z on the planet.
Beneath all that, Kalya chooses who or what brands she works with as an influencer, she believes that she has the responsibility to spread positivity and impactful issues in social media. So although she treats her social media as her emotional dump, she is very selective in who or what she works with. She admits that she doesn't overdesign her feed, she tries to keep it as honest as possible to her followers.
"Nothing in social media is real." - Kalya
Kalya shared that most of mental health issues surrounding social media is ingrained by the fact that people mistake it for real life. "There are aspects of our lives that we keep private, we need to keep in mind that there are so many things behind each of our posts in social media. As an audience we need to keep a clear and objective mind that social media is a tool for socialising, it's not a mirror of our lives."
Kalya's Guide to a Non-Toxic Social Media Life:
1. Be conscious and mindful
Don't spread hate in your platform, be conscious of what you create because it has the power to affect others.
2. Curate your content
Follow causes and issues that resonates with you but keep an open mind. Filter what you see on social media because it should inspire you not be your source of information.
3. Be smart of your actions
Remember that everything in social media is fabricated, it is not real life therefore when you are affected by it too much then you need to step back a little bit from it. It's okay to hit the PAUSE button.
Advice from the Gen Z to the older generations
The core of IMAJI Studio has always been preserving traditional qualities and philosophies while implementing and packaging them for the younger generations. Kalya said that although most of her friends are still not aware of the rich cultural identities that Indonesia has, there is still hope. Now we see brands that are working towards the same goal and inspired by Indonesian culture and nature enriching the local fashion and craft scene. Kalya felt that it has to be a two-way effort, older generations have to uplift and educate while younger generations have to stay curious and seek knowledge. That's the only way our traditions will thrive.
Culture is evolving, to get philosophical, the only constant in life is change itself. With technology moving forward, it is important to acknowledge and take it upon us to connect with the younger generation because they are the future of the nation. With that being said, I reversed the tables here and ask for an advice from Kalya and she did not disappoint.
"We are not kids! Listen. Gaining a new perspective is the way to the future."
