City teen's death sparks a reel debate:Is it safe to be reeling out in this heat?
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, but we overlook the fact that algorithms often blind us to the reality. According to a TOI report published on April 26, a 15-year-old girl and a chronic asthma patient, Alpana Gomes lost her life while filming reels out in the sun at Radhagovinda Palli, in the Rajpur-Sonarpur municipality on Thursday afternoon, that also happened to be the hottest April day in 44 years with a record temperature of 41.6oC.
While the heat has affected business and pleasure equally, content creators majorly depend on algorithms that do not understand the real effects of the heatwave.
Following this incident, CT speaks to vloggers and doctors to know the dos and don’ts for content creators this season.
‘Regularity of content has gone down due to the heat and so has the views’
Vineet Thacker, a vlogger who is mostly outdoors filming hidden must-visit places in the city says he can no longer make content as frequently as he used to. He says, “I used to shoot five days a week but now it has come down to two to three days a week.” He adds, “Since the consistency has gone down, the algorithm has suffered a setback too. Earlier my reels used to get over 50k views, but now it has halved.”
Following this incident, CT speaks to vloggers and doctors to know the dos and don’ts for content creators this season.
‘Regularity of content has gone down due to the heat and so has the views’
Vineet Thacker, a vlogger who is mostly outdoors filming hidden must-visit places in the city says he can no longer make content as frequently as he used to. He says, “I used to shoot five days a week but now it has come down to two to three days a week.” He adds, “Since the consistency has gone down, the algorithm has suffered a setback too. Earlier my reels used to get over 50k views, but now it has halved.”
Energy and productivity has taken a backseat too
Looking fresh in front of the camera is challenging even in late evening hours. “I am trying to shoot indoors as much as possible and when outdoors, I opt to commute comfortably,” says Roibat Bhowani, a travel and food vlogger who is planning to visit the hills soon to create content for his page and beat the heat.
Flexibility is key
“I am trying to be very transparent with brands and people I am working with regarding the timelines due to the heat. Not only do I have to take care of my health, but I also have to think of the well-being of my team. I have also been trying to schedule more indoor shoots nowadays,” said Shrishti Mukherjee, a content creator and fashion influencer.
Eat light, stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is the thumb rule for most content creators this season. “Not just water, I’m also having a lot of fresh fruit juice and coconut water. Home-cooked food is a great option as it is light and easy to digest. When reviewing a place, I take very small portions to taste,” said Ritika Jaiswal, a food vlogger.
'We’ve received quite a few heat stroke cases recently. High body temperature (103OC) can be an indicator of heat stroke'
– Dr Kumar Raj, consultant (emergency medicine) at city multispecialty hospital
Signs of a heatstroke
>High body temperature
> Hot, red, dry or damp skin
> Fast pulse rate
> Nausea
> Confusion
> Abdominal pain
> Dry tongue
– inputs by Dr Kumar Raj
>41 oC was the highest April temperature last year
>May 2 is the date till when there are no chances of rain
'A heat stroke patient should be given a sponge bath. If it worsens, they should be rushed to a hospital'
– Dr MS Purakait, medical superintendent at a city hospital
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