Veronica Awungshi|Young Social Media Influencer|Interview

She is one of the rising social media stars with a following of seventy thousand on Instagram and about fifty thousand YouTube subscribers and counting. 

Question (Q): Tell us about yourself. Your place, education and hobbies?

Veronica Awungshi (VA): I was born in Imphal, Manipur. After my 1st standard, our family moved to Shillong, Meghalaya where I completed my 10th standard. After that we moved to New Delhi and did my 11th -12th standard at Holy Child School and graduated from Sri Venkateshwara College, Delhi University. Currently pursuing an MA in English. 

My hobbies are dancing and singing. So during my college years, I joined a dance society “Verve” and we went on to win many dance competitions. And during my final year in college,  I joined another group called “5Feet” which is an all-girls dance team and  we participated in “India’s Got Talent”. After that, we also went to “Korea” to perform and promote Northeastern culture of India through the invitation of the Embassy of India, in South Korea.

Q: What inspired you to become a YouTuber? And who takes care of photography, videography and editing for Instagram/vlog?

VA:  I first started YouTube back in 2015. My first video was about “winter fashion” which I was a random shot on my rooftop. It was also the year where fashion blogging was becoming very popular in India. I had no idea what I really wanted to do at that time but I wanted to make the most of my time and join a creative team and enjoy my life as much as can doing things that I love.

I am my own cameraman and the editor but I have met some great photographers and videographers who have helped in shooting my videos.  

Q: Whom do you give credit for your success so far?

VA: I’m not successful yet, but I have come a long way from where I started. I give all the credit to my subscribers for making me do the things I love. I am so humbled and honored. Without their support, I would have never been able to achieve or feel good about myself. It is through the positive energy and the love I received from my subscribers that makes me grow.

Q: Apart from being a social media influencer, you also took part in beauty pageants and won Miss Spring 2018. What are the positive aspects of participating in beauty pageant apart from the exposure platform and empowering oneself? Any advice for those who are willing to take part in beauty pageantry?

VA: I was in TKLD  (Tangkhul Katamnao Long Delhi as the joint secretary). I joined because I wanted to gain experience and grow as a person. I knew nothing about social and public work. I had and still have a fear of public speaking. Even after being in TKLD for a year, I was still in my shell. I challenged myself to join Miss Spring because I knew I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and face my fear. 

Apart from empowering yourself and being the voice. Personally, for me,  it is a way to find your true self. It will test how sincere you are to yourself and how much faith and belief you have in yourself. 

I would like to encourage girls to participate in the pageant, It’s important to find out the lessons it will teach you, after all, everyone will have a different experience. But one experience and lesson we definitely gain a 100 percent is confidence. If you are scared or nervous. And have always been this shy or an introvert. You should definitely participate and see the difference. 

Q: What is the content/theme of your vlog? What are the messages that you want to convey it to your viewers?

VA: My channel is very personal. It’s about all the experiences and the process of my journey. As I person I enjoy traveling, singing, dancing and creating moments of happiness. So my channel consists of videos ranging from daily vlogs, travel, fashion, dancing, singing,  entertainment etc.  

The main message I would like to convey is positive energy because we need more encouragement and positivity much more than advice or rules.

Q: Can YouTubing be an alternative career choice?  

VA: Yes. YouTube is definitely a career option. It has become a source of income for many people even in India.

Q: Any upcoming collaboration or project or product endorsement etc.?

VA: Let me explain what or how being an Instagram influencer work. Once you have a good amount of followers, brands will contact you to promote their products. It can be a barter system or paid collaborations. Brands mainly concerning fashion and makeup contact me after finding my Instagram page and through that, I can earn myself some pocket money. In a month, I usually get at least 4/5 brands contacting me for endorsements. And we don’t always know what is coming next. So it’s very unpredictable at the same time.

Q: Your thoughts on women empowerment in Naga society? Is social media empowering women?

VA: Being talented and open-minded is the best part of being a Naga.  As a woman or in general the main target is to encourage one another in whatever field we are.

Social media is definitely powerful. But it is up to us on how to use it. And I believe social media has helped many women to inspire one another, in terms of sharing thoughts and daily interaction.

Q: Trolls and negative comments by keyboard warrior can often affect your work.  How do you engage with them?

VA: When I started vlogging in 2015 I got lots of criticism and hate. My YouTube channel was not doing good and I didn’t have a strong will to continue further so I quit for a while and resumed again in 2018.

Firstly, I have learned to accept that YouTube is an open page where anyone and everyone can comment. This time around  I am mentally prepared to face it but as I am not perfect and I have flaws and I am open to criticism. So, whenever I get constructive criticism and I accept it with an open heart and try to better myself. But there are other comments that are so mean literally spoils my entire day. I am still learning to cope with that negativity, I stay away from replying to those negative comments. 

The article first appeared in NagaDao (2019), an annual publication of the Naga Students' Union, Delhi (NSUD).
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