MAM
World Cancer Day 2024: Manisha Koirala & Tahira Kashyap Khurrana inspire resilience on Audible
Mumbai: On World Cancer Day, listen to the inspiring stories of Manisha Koirala and Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, who displayed resilience and incredible courage in battling the formidable C-word, where they discuss their fight against cancer and healing journeys in ‘Healed’ and ‘My Ex-Breast’ respectively on Audible. Their journeys are supreme examples of understanding how individuals have distinct coping mechanisms to deal with their illnesses. While Manisha embraces mindfulness and practices gratitude, finding strength in being present in the moment, Tahira fearlessly confronts the disease with a positive spirit, accepting her body’s changes without allowing them to define her, thereby setting an inspiring example for others. As we stand united against cancer this World Cancer Day, let us draw inspiration from their healing journeys and the takeaways shared by them in their audiobook and podcast on Audible.
Practice gratitude and mindfulness: Manisha Koirala’s lesson after her fight against cancer
“The survival rate of Stage IV cancer is only 19%, according to the American Cancer Society. But I’m still here, alive. This perhaps means anybody can be in that 19% group, so please do not lose hope. Cancer is not a death sentence.” She hopes that one day the world will be cancer-free. She thinks this is a good opportunity to remind yourself to change your lifestyle for the better, because your body may not be suffering from a disease but at dis-ease, given the frantic amount of stress one faces on a daily basis in today’s fast-paced life.
“It took cancer to make me more mindful of everything around me, taking one day at a time. Let me share some things that have worked for me positively.” Talking of the practices that helped her get through tough times, she mentioned, “Introspect, dig deep, and seek clarity; Be kind and gentle on yourself; Stay committed to change; Develop an attitude of gratitude; Develop positivity, drop negativity” She strongly believes in the power of mindfulness and holistic healing, expressing how delighted she is now that it is accepted by medical science worldwide now.
Baring scars and breaking barriers: Tahira Kashyap’s powerful journey of self-acceptance
Tahira recounts her experience of interacting with fellow patients on her visits to the hospital when the doctors told her that the physical aspect of cancer doesn’t do as much harm as does the mental condition of the patients along with the societal pressure. This is when she decided to share her story with the world. And then on World Cancer Day, she did what no one expected her to do. She said, “I feel like this day is my day and I have no qualms admitting that. A few days back, at work, I asked my producer and one of India’s best photographers, Atul Kasbekar if he could take my photo.” She added, “This won’t be a regular picture, I want to celebrate my scars.”
She went ahead and removed her t-shirt to get a few pictures clicked. While she felt hesitant and self-conscious initially, she got comfortable after a few clicks. She mentioned, “I know I wouldn’t have been able to do this had I not been so confident in my own skin. So, my picture, it’s me wearing denims, a topless torso, a bald head, opticals and hoops. That’s it…and oh, my scar! It runs half across my back.” This is how she broke the internet with her Instagram post a few years ago, showcasing her ensuring spirit and acceptance of her scars without letting them define her.
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
