The Viral Truth The Viral Truth

In part A, we debunked the myth of the great Indian middle-class - only 2% come under this category. But does this sobering statistic dismiss all the concerns and complaints of everyone who thinks of themselves as middle class? The economic classification of middle income is different from the layman's definition of middle-class, which is more to do with constraints and aspirations.


In part B, we dive deeper into the social, cultural and historical aspects of 'middle-class':

What are the legitimate concerns of the self-described middle class and how much of it is a victim complex?

Does India run on our taxes? 

Are we the first echo chamber of independent India?


Recommended reads/videos:

Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India | Rukmini S (Book)

Does the Indian Middle Class Really Exist? | The Wire (Video)

Different faces of India's middle class | Financial Times (Video)


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message

The finance minister of India unveiled the 2022 budget last week and made the entire country middle-class in one stroke if you go by internet reactions. Every year, we all wait for a tax break, and then complain about how we, the middle class has been short-changed once again. But who is middle class? Who is not? In part A of our conversation, we define the middle class, both in terms of numbers and the art of squeezing toothpaste. 

Reading material: 

China has a larger middle class than India, where most people are low income | Pew Research Center

Everyone Thinks They Are Middle Class, New Study Explains Why | Observer

Why do so many rich people consider themselves "middle class?" | Vox


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message

The world has changed over the last two years and so did our little worlds. Life used to be a circular commute with some work and fun in between, but not anymore. Join us as we discuss this paradigm shift in our work-life.

Is work from home bad for human connections? Or does it let people focus on their lives and real selves?

Does the great resignation mean large scale disillusionment or liberation?

The dark side of work from home- did we get more cocooned in our gated societies?

---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message

The internet was supposed to set the world free, lighting up the darkness with free access to information and knowledge. But instead we get fake news more often than real news, and hate speech instead of free speech.  How did this come about? Is it simply human nature, or the nature of algorithms that run the show? Before you acquiesce to the just announced Facebook meta verse, join us as we delve into the dark algorithms that run our world. 

Recommended reading:  

https://www.wired.com/story/take-back-your-facebook-news-feed/ https://theprint.in/india/how-facebook-led-a-new-india-user-to-gore-fake-news-in-just-21-days/755765/ https://theprint.in/opinion/why-facebooks-plan-to-rebrand-itself-could-be-a-huge-risk/754139/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/08/15/1031804/digital-beauty-filters-photoshop-photo-editing-colorism-racism/ 

Recommended videos:

The 60 min interview with Francis Haugen - https://youtu.be/_Lx5VmAdZSI Francis Haugen’s opening statement to congress - https://youtu.be/L3cG3cLXHfk Should you delete your Social Media - https://youtu.be/kc_Jq42Og7Q Social Dilemma - https://youtu.be/7mqR_e2seeM Vice : the Horrors of being a FB moderator -https://youtu.be/cHGbWn6iwHw Tristan Harris: Rethinking FB and Big Tech - https://youtu.be/YruYAnzirxw


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message

In a country of 1.3 billion with a backed-up legal system, justice is patchy and slow. Unless there is media attention, which can often expedite trials and bring down powerful criminals. But has this really led to justice, or merely the appearance of it? Is there a difference?

In today's episode, we talk about:

What leads to media trials and by extension, social media trials?

Legal and regulatory reasons that contribute to the phenomenon

Prominent examples - The 2019 Hyderabad encounter case, the recently thrown out Shashi Tharoor/Sunanda Pushkar case, and the biggest media circus in recent history, the Sushant Singh Rajput case

Reading material:


Rhea Chakraborty’s TV trial for TRPs shows why TRAI should stop fixing channel prices

Media Trials in India: A Judicial View to Administration

Sushant Singh Rajput death: NCB files criminal case against Rhea Chakraborty for alleged dealings in banned drugs

Article 19(1) in The Constitution Of India 1949

Manu Sharma v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2010) 6 SCC 1

Dr. Rajesh Talwar And Another V. Central Bureau Of Investigation




---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message

If there was ever a cottage industry in India that exported a valuable product line for generations, it has to be Godmen or Yogis.

Fact checking each and every Godman is a futile exercise, but in this episode we cover a few aspects:


Why have two Yogis - Sadhguru and Baba Ramdev surpassed all others in recent years?
Why do they dabble in politics, subtly or blatantly?
What value do people see in their products and services?
What do you do when your favorite Yogi talks about politics and science?


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-viral-truth/message