Social Media And The Joy Of Mother Tongue
With Mother Language Day approaching, let’s celebrate the linguistic diversity we have online.
I won’t be wrong if I say that nearly the whole world is on social media and uses the platform actively. The Internet has made it easier for people to connect without any geographical boundaries and language barriers, whether it is for a language exchange, speaking the same language, sharing their content in video, audio and other forms. Internet connectivity has enhanced the way we connect and communicate.
Multilingual Content And Platforms:
English is widely used online but several languages are used globally, go ahead and search for the most popular or most used languages online. The content we watch as language learners, people who prefer their local language over any other language, or people who simply enjoy anything regardless of language have come a long way. It is far easier these days to get access to the preferred languages. From smartphones to google searches we can add our preferred language and use these to our convenience. It is easier to type, use audio, read blogs in a language that we speak for better understanding and connection to the provided content.
Preference Of Local Languages:
Even when we speak English most of us prefer to watch content in a local language. In India, the number is drastically increasing due to the rising number of smartphone users. Many of these users have a 4G connection. People are using these platforms for a wide variety of reasons ranging from banking, education, entertainment, etc. Google’s voice search has enabled people who can’t type on smartphones a better way to fulfil their needs via Google assistant. There are multiple Indian languages enabled by Google to make the search easier for its users.
Creators Speaking Their Mother Languages:
The number of creators online especially on mediums such as Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms has been producing content in their mother language and they have captured a good amount of market online. With better connectivity in remote areas, we have seen a significant rise in the number of creators speaking in local languages around the world. Indians are also providing a good number of creators in vernacular languages. The most popular genre are the cooking channels, vlogs and educational channels. 90% of Indians regardless of their ability to speak English prefer to watch content in a language they are comfortable speaking. It helps create an emotional connection between the creator and the audience. eg: wifistudy is an educational channel on YouTube which is accessible for Hindi speakers.
Lack Of Connectivity In The Rural Areas:
Yes, we have come a long way but some places are still untouched by technology which causes the local population to suffer and be stuck on a pedestal without an improvement on their regular lives. Many students have suffered because of this since they weren’t able to attend their online classes, this might lead to a lack of technological progress. Small creators from regions like these might not be able to grow an audience due to the lack of connectivity. There are many interesting creators in local languages but they fail to shine on the platform due to the divide between them and the potential audience caused by the lack of connectivity in remote areas.
Rise Of The Local Stars:
Let’s give props to local talent which is thriving on multiple social media platforms. I don’t know about the globally famous speakers in local dialects or languages but in India, grandfathers from a village in Tamil Nadu are killing it on YouTube. Ladies from Rajasthan and Gujarat are making videos in their local languages about art and culture, Travel vloggers whether they speak Punjabi or Haryanvi are quite on the rise, teachers are teaching in multiple languages.
The time is glorious to rise in any language you speak and want to learn. The growing number of creators in whatever mother language they speak is amazing as they are connecting a huge community and introducing these languages on a global level.
Final Words:
Social media especially YouTube has been my favourite place to watch and learn about languages. The fact that I am watching Indians living abroad like Rom Rom Ji who is currently living in Japan and making videos in Hindi or creators like Khandeshi movies and a lot more is stunning.
I can enjoy my mother tongue as well as someone else's is fantastic and definitely, it is a great way to get exposed to multiple languages and cultures around the world, I just have to come above that 1-inch gap of subtitles.
Resources To Review:
Happy Mother Language Day.
Thank you for reading. Keep learning. Keep speaking.
बोलत रहा, शिकत रहा. ಮಾತನಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಇರಿ, ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಾ ಇರಿ.
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