It is only recently that New Media and its multiple formats—Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.—have emerged as a cultural wave in Nagaland. Media circulation of this kind entered the region long after it had become a pervasive culture across global geographies. Yet, what the users and public of this region have been able to catch up on quickly is trolling.
Over the last few years, Nagaland has seen the emergence of many Nagas joining platforms like Instagram and YouTube, who are now fairly considered “influencers” owing to their prominent presence on these platforms. These Naga YouTubers make home videos, capture their daily lives, share travel diaries, film mukbangs, and create comical videos- the content being produced by these locals is diverse.
Over the years spent studying their presence, understanding their intentions, and making sense of the influencer culture in Nagaland, it has been realized that these groups of people have various reasons for joining these platforms. Some vlog out of sheer interest; others use these platforms to showcase their skills in digital spaces; and some join with the hope of monetizing their work and earning financial benefits, which in turn could help them make a livelihood.
There are many other such reasons as well. I recall a time when a friend forwarded me the link to a new YouTube channel, requesting that I subscribe because the creator was known to her and was entering YouTube with the hope of generating income. My friend specifically pointed out that the creator had not yet established any means of making money, and thus, subscribing to his channel would be a form of support.
Clearly, there is a high stake here; people are looking at these platforms as more than just an archetypal means of amusement. YouTube, or any other social platform, is no longer merely for entertainment; it builds lives and shapes futures.
All of these pursuits are sensible, logical, smart, and exactly how the human mind should be operating. However, alongside the rise of this influencer culture, the public—also Nagas themselves—has been equally active in trolling, harassing, abusing, bullying, and body-shaming these influencers on social media.
It is within this very tension between influencers and the public that trolling takes its most intense forms, impacting the lives of influencers in ways that challenge both their mental and physical strength.
Just recently, a Naga digital creator named Aseno Ayemi, who has amassed 2.47 lakh subscribers on YouTube and 112k followers on Instagram, exposed trolls who were bullying her for her looks and leaving inappropriate, disrespectful comments on her posts. In one such exposé, she sat down with her mother and read these comments aloud, breaking down in the process.
These trolls are mostly Nagas themselves, and they include women as well as men. On 12 August, Ayemi once again posted a series of stories revealing how a few Nagas were mercilessly abusing and bullying her on social media.
These stories also conveyed that she had filed an FIR against some of them, while expressing her frustration over the fact that hardly anyone was coming forward to stand with her against such extreme online bullying. This case is profoundly disturbing and calls for serious contemplation within Naga society on the issue of online abuse.
This dynamic between digital creators and the public is pervasive across global social media spaces. From major public figures, sports personalities, politicians, socialites, reality TV stars, and film actors to digital creators, trolls, and their negative mindsets circulate massively.
The emergence of digital spaces has made many people feel comfortable taking jibes at others without ever having to show their faces or disclose their identities. Such technological liberty is now a threat to the well-being of those exploring digital spaces for various reasons.
Digital spaces today are not merely agencies of entertainment—they are powerful mediums through which skilled and passionate individuals can build their livelihoods, lives, and futures, while giving global platforms to their skills. They are among the most accessible avenues through which one can sell skills and talents. Entering these spaces as creators, influencers, or entrepreneurs requires a certain level of aptitude, talent, merit, confidence, personality, and networking. The trolling that follows such creators is not just a side effect of crowded digital spaces; it is reflective of the psychological and mental state, as well as the mindset, of the young generation accessing these platforms.
In the past, a few digital creators from Nagaland have openly addressed and responded to such trolling. Patriarchal ideas that shame a man for not appearing “masculine” enough, insult creators for the quality of their videos, their content, or their appearances are not only manifestations of outdated, conventional views, but also deeply unprogressive, unsocial, and lacking in the most basic developments of social maturity.
(Visuals of some comments retrieved from a few digital creators’ posts)
As indigenous digital creators, trolling already comes from the rest of the national audience. But when people who share the same history, space, culture, and language lead such regressive and immoral attacks on creators, one cannot help but wonder how these creators manage to survive it.
Owing to the long history of consuming mainstream content from industries such as cinema and television—where public figures are constantly trolled—Nagas, too, have left no stone unturned in mimicking this disruptive culture.
A few years back, I interviewed a Naga actress, Rose Longchar, during an ethnographic research project in Nagaland, and what she recounted resonates closely with contemporary trolling.
Longchar entered the world of film and media in the early 2000s via music videos (MVs). She was one of the earliest actresses to emerge from Nagaland, going on to perform in various regional films and also in Hindi films.
But when she began working in music videos and Nagamese films in Nagaland, there was an intense wave of trolling from fellow Nagas. From being harassed and accused of immorality for appearing in such productions to being trolled for her looks and her profession, Rose endured years of such treatment.
This ultimately drove her to leave Nagaland, taking up a job in the private sector in Delhi. She only returned after several years when she was offered a role in a major film production outside the state—a decision influenced by the hope that being part of a high-profile local film would shift the public’s perception of her profession.
However, trolls cannot be dissuaded by accomplishments, merit, or representation. There is an element of sinister psychology, sadism, and even anxiety operating in the minds of such individuals. Trolling is not a new phenomenon; it has been cultivated and ingrained in the way society operates.
These trolls breach and trespass multiple boundaries of ethics, decency, intelligence, and social discipline. Digital space is supposed to be a booming arena for creative minds engaged in constant exchanges of ideas, culture, and lifestyle, while addressing issues that are both global and regional. Yet, its ease of access has prevented any filtration of its users; many of whom are present only to circulate hate speech, make political jibes, and vent their frustrations from behind the safety of anonymity.
This is a moral crisis; one where social media users are unable to contain their undesirable energy and instead direct it toward creators, who are often strangers and have nothing to do with their lives.
The impact of trolling and cyberbullying can lead creators to develop chronic depression, mental disturbances, low self-esteem, suicidal tendencies, and even reclusive behaviors, especially among those who are not inherently equipped with strong mental resilience. These groups of Nagas who are active on social media and engage in trolling reflect a troubling reality: the absence of moral consciousness and social discipline among the contemporary generation of digital Nagas.
Views expressed are personal. The author is a Film & Media Scholar at Sarai, Centre for the Study of Developing Studies (CSDS), New Delhi, India.
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