Shun social media to succeed: Exam toppers’ common sentiment

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, May 15

The CBSE and CICSE Class X and XII results are out, and the toppers are sharing their success stories with joy. But what sets them apart is their attitude towards social media. Interestingly, almost all the toppers cited social media as a significant obstacle to their academic ambitions.

By maintaining distance from popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, they were able to focus more on studies.

At a time when even young students are highly active on social media, these toppers have taken a different path. They have voluntarily abstained from the lure of virtual social networks and prioritised their studies. This decision has undoubtedly contributed to their remarkable results.

In conversations with these high achievers, a common sentiment prevailed: social media had little to offer in terms of academic advancement. By consciously avoiding these platforms, they were able to carve out precious time for concentrated studying, engaging in self-reflection, and participating in offline educational activities.

For instance, Pawani Kundra, who topped the ICSE Class X exams in her district, only used her mother’s phone to talk to her friends or check WhatsApp groups where important information related to exams or certain subjects was shared. She said social media only keeps people updated with unwanted information about their friends and relatives, like where they are hanging out and with whom.

Another topper, Noorpal Kaur Sidhu, who scored 99.49% in the commerce stream and bagged overall first position in the district in CBSE Class XII results, confessed that she was an average student until she stopped using social media two years ago. Since then, she has seen a significant improvement in her scores.

Similarly, Guneev Kaur, who bagged the third spot in the district in the ICSE Class X results, shared that she has authored two books at her age and is an avid reader too. She has detached herself from the social media world, and her only focus is on her studies and fulfilling her dreams. “I wholeheartedly believe that social media is a big distraction in pursuit of your dreams,” she added.

Other toppers like Alan Wilson, Palakshi, Aashna, Anshya Aggarwal, and Raghav Sehdev shared a similar opinion. By forgoing the constant distractions and information overload that social media often presents, they said that they were able to maintain better focus on their studies, coupled with effective time management strategies.

In today’s competitive academic environment, where digital connectivity and social media usage have become the new norm, these toppers’ ability to prioritize their studies and their offline pursuits has paid off handsomely.

‘Used mother’s mobile phone only’

Pawani Kundra, who topped the ICSE Class X exams in the district with near perfect 99%, used her mother’s mobile phone only to talk to her friends or check WhatsApp groups where important information related to exams or certain subjects was shared.

‘Improved after leaving social media’

Noorpal Kaur Sidhu, who scored 99.49% in the commerce stream and bagged the first position in the district in the CBSE Class XII results, confessed that she was an average student until she stopped using social media two years ago.

‘Avid read, no social media distractions’

Guneev Kaur, who is third in the district with 98.2% in the ICSE Class X results, has authored two books and is an avid reader too. She has detached herself from the social media world, and her only focus is on her studies and fulfilling her dreams.