Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Saturday, 26 September called on students to interrogate the information they consume online, cautioning that social media reels, forwarded messages, and algorithmic feeds risk quietly colonising their thinking if left unchecked. Mundhe made the remarks during a nearly two-and-a-half-hour interaction with students at Karnavati University in Gandhinagar.

The 'WhatsApp University' Warning

Mundhe described the uncritical acceptance of social media content as one of the defining challenges of the current generation. 'One of the major challenges we have is social media influence or WhatsApp University,' he told the gathering. He pointed out that users routinely accept reels and forwarded messages at face value, rarely pausing to ask whether the content is accurate, authentic, or advancing a particular narrative.

'We take decisions on that basis, but we never try to understand whatever has come to you: is it really correct, is it authentic, is it real, or is it fake, or is it a narrative?' Mundhe said.

How Algorithms Shape the Mind

The FDA Commissioner explained the mechanics of algorithmic reinforcement to the student audience, noting that platforms track every scroll, skip, and engagement to curate increasingly personalised feeds. 'In one week, you will start getting what you like. Because it captures your mind, it captures your imagination,' he said.

Mundhe argued that this feedback loop amounts to outsourced thinking. 'What it means is that you have stopped thinking. You are being taught by somebody else,' he said. He labelled the phenomenon a form of 'new colonialism' — one driven not by foreign powers but by algorithms and content creators shaping behaviour and opinion from within.

A Call for Critical Self-Examination

Mundhe framed the solution as an internal reboot, beginning with self-interrogation rather than reflexive scepticism of others. 'We have become too shallow. We are not living deeply, we are not thinking, we are not questioning,' he said, urging students to first examine their own conduct and values before scrutinising information around them.

'You have to start questioning yourself first. Who am I? Am I responsible or irresponsible? And if I cannot, who else can?' he said.

He challenged students to shift from passive consumers to active creators of digital content. 'Do you want to be ruled by a reel, or do you want to create a reel?' he asked, urging them to pause before sharing, cross-reference with other evidence, and then decide. 'The moment you start, stop for a, give it a pause, give it a moment and ask, collaborate with some other evidence, look into it, and then you will realise, oh, this is where it is going wrong, stop it, discard it,' he said.

Linking Media Literacy to Ethical Decisions

Mundhe connected the social media discussion to a broader message on ethical decision-making, arguing that surrendering information-processing to platforms was equivalent to surrendering agency altogether. 'Are you making a decision, or are your decisions being taken by somebody else, is the question,' he said.

He concluded by calling for a fundamental shift in individual mindset. 'I believe that reboot has to begin in your mind, not just in reels,' he said, adding that such critical thinking would promote originality, legality, and ethical behaviour in everyday life. His remarks come amid a growing national conversation about misinformation, digital literacy, and the real-world impact of unverified online content on public health and civic decision-making.