Navya Naveli Nanda: ‘Gen-Z Is Probably the Most Misunderstood Generation’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In an era where public image is often shaped by digital commentary, Navya Naveli Nanda is opting for a more intentional approach.

In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, the young entrepreneur and philanthropist admits she has faced online hate but doesn’t let social media shape her self-perception. “I try not give in to what I see on social media. I have faced my fair share of hate on social media as well, but I try not to let it get to me because my belief is that I actively chose to be on social media as a public figure because of the work that I do. And especially in the work that I'm involved in, which is development work and non-profit work. It's things that I'm doing for people. So it's very important for me to be receptive of what people have to say about me and my work because it allows me to do it better and to give them what they want. But I try to kind of stay away from letting that change my perception of myself. I try to use social media as much as I possibly can to put out more of my work; I don't share a lot of my personal life on social media.

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She also describes herself as “very shy” and “a massive introvert,” trying to clear the misconception about her. “I think people think I'm an extrovert because I do a lot of interviews and I talk a lot and they probably see me around a lot. But I'm actually very shy and a massive introvert and I think that's something people don't really know about me,” adds Navya.

When asked about the most misunderstood Gen-Z trait, Navya doesn’t hesitate and answers, “This is a great question and that’s why I'm writing the book (The Map). I think Gen-Z is probably the most misunderstood generation and they usually get a lot of slack for multitasking. I think Gen-Zs are capable of doing so many different things because we're a generation of achievers. We're ambitious. And I think that's a great thing because in our country, a large percentage of our population is young. Yes, we get a lot of slack for probably being on our phones at the dinner table, but I can guarantee you that maybe not 100%, but at least 60% of the time, it's probably because it's work or it's something that is going to change the world tomorrow. So I would say that is very misunderstood about us!” she concludes.