Zeenat Aman recently took “an unplanned social media break” and took the time to ruminate on how social media has created a massive chasm between today’s world and the heady 1970s, the Bollywood veteran revealed in a long note on Instagram on Friday.

Her latest musings on social media came a fortnight after she last posted a throwback photo with Dimple Kapadia.

Sharing a photo of herself clicked by her son, Zeent wrote, “I took an unplanned social media break. Mostly because I got tired of seeing my own face on my grid! This time to myself really led me to ruminate on how different the world is today from when I started out. It’s quite unrecognisable from what I lived through in the 70s.”

Reflecting on the impact of social media, the actress acknowledged its role in democratising fame, enabling individuals with modest resources but talent to carve out careers that were once reserved for the privileged few. “At some level, social media has democratised the idea of fame. Today, anyone with a little talent, luck and a smartphone can build a career that would have been impossible without immense privileges back in the day,” she said.

Zeenat, however, was quick to point out the darker side of online culture, emphasising the prevalence of cyberbullying and the erosion of empathy in digital interactions. “On the other hand I am very cautious of the culture of easy outrage that has proliferated online. And how casually some people say cruel things online that they would never dare say in person. To me this indicates a bored society that has forgotten how nuanced the world, and each person in it, is!”

Musing on the dual nature of social media in today’s world, the actress made her stand clear. “To invalidate, tear down and sully people for the smallest of indiscretions is absolutely counter to her approach, which is dialogue, and sometimes the acceptance that opinions can differ, and that’s okay,” she said.

“That’s it. My honest two cents for the day. I hope your Friday is wonderful. What are your plans,” the Laawaris actress signed off.

Zeenat was last seen in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat (2019) and will share screen space with Shabana Azli in Faraz Arif Ansari’s upcoming film Bun Tikki. She was also a guest on Koffee With Karan Season 8 last year alongside Neetu Kapoor.