10-year-old's viral video mirrors the rise of online motivational content

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. “Sapne dekhna achhi baat hai", a short video of Benjamin Joby reciting an inspirational quote starting with this phrase--Hindi for ‘it’s good to dream’--has gone viral. The clip, posted from his handle @benjamin_p_joby with 185,000 followers on Instagram, has been shared by twice the number of users.

Joby may be just 10 years old, but his popularity reflects a surge in motivational content on social media. Joby’s father, a retired army officer, started recording and uploading his son’s videos as he practised reciting speeches of famous people like Martin Luther King Jr for competitions in 2021. “We didn't even know his video went viral on Instagram as I would upload it on Facebook and it would be uploaded there as well by default," Joby PU told Mint.

“I didn't even have the app installed." His content grew organically as there was an appetite for motivational content on social media, and it paved the way for commercial deals. “Over the past year, more people have been turning to motivational voices not just for inspiration but for practical guidance and life coaching," said Aditya Gurwara, co-founder of influencer marketing software services provider Qoruz. “These creators are no longer only sharing positive messages.

They are becoming mentors, thought leaders, and community builders," said Gurwara. “They are shaping how people think, act, and make decisions, and their influence is growing stronger by the day." The number of motivational influencers on Instagram rose 13.2% to 22,145 in 2023-24 from 19,562 in the previous year, a study report by Qoruz, a Saas (Software as a service) platform. The growth of such videos mirrors the explosion in short-form content and social media usage in