College students make videos, encourage everyone to get vaccinated
Now that the Covid vaccination drives for youngsters have begun across India, the #lit minds have found new ways to spread awareness and encourage everyone to take the jab! From reels to videos and even raps are coming handy as a means to do so, and going the creative way are none other than college students. Taking to social media, to motivate each other and the rest, to get the Covid shot, many have created posts that are going viral.
“I got Covid and my parents suffered from pneumonia along with being Covid positive. Their oxygen levels were too low and it worried me immensely. While I was battling Covid and nursing my parents, I realised that I myself didn’t know about a lot of recovery tips and facts on Covid. That’s when I made up my mind that once I recover, I’ll encourage others to get vaccinated, and be an active part of the movement to end the pandemic,” says Bhavya Sood, a student of History (Hons) at Hansraj College, Delhi University. Now that he has recovered, Sood says, “I’ve been making upbeat and fun reels on the need to get vaccinated, and also how the importance to wear masks even after one has got the shot! I’m also making reels on how to use a nebuliser and oxymeter, and on how to handle the virus mentally, without panic. I’ve even encouraged people to donate plasma through social media. As we are all in this together, this is me playing my part!”
Talent brews in the hearts of these young guns, some of who are creating raps to encourage their friends and families to get vaccinated. “I lost two relatives of mine to Covid, and was feeling so disheartened like many other people all over India. So I made a Co-win rap to spread some positive vibes,” says Vishal Singh Rathor, a student of BA (Prog) at Hansraj College, adding, “To ensure that we can win the war against this pandemic, I created this rap to encourage others to get vaccinated. I sing in my rap that if you have Covid then don’t worry as you’ll soon be fine and if you are totally fine then please stay at home and be safe and vaccinate! My rap also talks about one of the most monstrous things happening at this time; it calls out people who are black marketing oxygen cylinders for profit. This is the time to show humanity and compassion, and everyone should understand that and help each other to win this war against Covid.”
The reels and videos by college students are gaining popularity on social media due to the positive messages they comprise. “As social media was flooded with negative news, I make some fun reels that can make the viewer laugh while driving home a much needed message of wearing masks and getting vaccinated,” says Vishwas Girdher, a BCom (Hons) student at Hansraj College, adding, “In order to grab the attention of youngsters, one needs to make relatable content. My reel did great, and now I’m thinking of another creative idea on busting myths around vaccination, on to how use this difficult time to help others by donating plasma. I even plan share tips to tackle the mental strain that the pandemic has caused us.”
Some from the cool Gen Z and millennials have even come up with a song, Bajre ka Sitta, to share their vaccination story with others. “Being woke is not only limited to posting reels that make you laugh, it’s also about using social media as a medium to encourage positive actions. I make reels and put stories on the importance of getting vaccinated because I’ve been vaccinated myself,” says Ritesh Bhat, a student of Information Technology at Pune Institute Of Computer Technology, adding, “I want to share my experience of getting vaccinated with youngsters, to dispel their fears and myths about the vaccination. Nothing’s better than leading with an example and therefore, me and my friends who have got their shot are using social media to spread the message to #DontBeLateVaccinate!”
The appeals to get vaccinated are not limited to raps, reels and videos. Many students are constantly reaching out to the larger community by tweeting about #vaccinationchallenge! Aniket Sanjeev Singh, a student of B Com (Hons) at St Gonsalo Garcia College, University of Mumbai, says: “Me and my friends have been sharing verified leads of plasma, oxygen and availability of hospital beds on social media, to help critical patients. We felt the need to educate people about the severity of the situation, and to explain them how important it is to get vaccinated, I’ve started uploading sarcastic and fun tweets, to connect with the youth. In these difficult times when people are getting affected by the virus and losing lives, to encourage people to get vaccinated I started #vaccinationchallenge on my social media accounts, and decided to use it as a means to create awareness among youth, to get the Covid shot.”
Youngsters across India feel strongly for the need to spread the positive message of vaccination. Srishti Shukla, who is pursuing Diploma in Computer Applications from Acharya Narendra Deo Kisan P G College, Uttar Pradesh, says, “This isn’t a pandemic of just a virus. This is a pandemic of emotion. This is a pandemic of pain and suffering that has to do with lost jobs and lives. The only way to arrest this is by getting vaccinated... I’ve been using my Instagram to motivate youngsters to get vaccinated, and have got the shot myself. The youth has to be brave and should encourage others to get vaccinated, too. Let’s play our part in being the solution.”