Arghakhanchi. There is a strong perception in the society regarding social media, ‘Youths who hang on mobile get spoiled’. It is also heard that Facebook, TikTok and YouTube waste the youth’s time, spoil their education and take them away from real life. But Netra Prasad Bhusal, a youth of Sandhikharka Municipality-2 of Arghakhanchi, has become an example that this social media is not only a means of passing time for anyone, but can also become a strong base of skills, identity, employment and income.

Bhusal is not just a popular face on social media today. He has made YouTube, Facebook and Tiktok his workplace and has managed to make his own identity in the country and abroad with good income through this medium. On Tiktok, he is known as ‘Tiktok Star Netra Bhusal’. He says that he has millions of ‘subscribers’ on YouTube and more than 2 lakh 50 thousand followers on Facebook. He has about 20 lakh followers on Tiktok. This large audience network created on social media has now become the basis of his financial success.

After the death of his father in his teens, the financial crisis in his family increased. After the death of his father, the responsibilities of the house and the worry of the future also touched his eyes. How to continue his studies? How to continue the education of his siblings? How to improve the financial condition of the family? These questions stood in front of him, but problems could not stop him.

After taking the SEE, he made good use of the time he got for about three months and started a YouTube channel. He started seeing the internet and social media that others were using as entertainment. When he realized that ‘income can also be made from social media’, he became more serious about it.

Netra’s journey on social media did not start only with Tiktok. He initially started doing tech-related content and blogging on YouTube. He said that he started a tech and blogging channel after being influenced by various creators of YouTube. In the initial days, the audience was less, the results of the hard work were not immediately visible, but he did not stop continuing.

He remembers that he was very happy when he got income for the first time after the YouTube channel was ‘monetized’. After that, he started understanding social media not just as a matter of interest but as an area of business potential. He also became active on Facebook. Then he joined Tiktok. His popularity gradually increased with short videos, live streaming, and direct interaction with the audience.

From 2019, he started living regularly on Tiktok. Initially, live streaming started as an experiment, after which it became an important source of his income. Netra says that the digital gifts sent by the audience on Tiktok Live are his main source of income.

According to him, he now earns around Rs 5 to 6 lakh per month. So far, he claims to have earned around Rs 7 crore from social media. “I connect with the audience by staying live. The gifts given by the audience are my main source of income. “If you can use social media properly, you can earn good income from it. He stays on Tiktok Live for about four hours every day, from 6 am to 8 am and from 6 pm to 8 pm. Due to his regular live hosting, he has established himself as a popular ‘live host’ of Tiktok.

Netra, who was once worried about how to improve the financial condition of his family, has now become physically established with his own earnings. He has built an attractively designed house in Sandhikharka and has even bought a car for commuting. He also says that a few months ago, he bought a house in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu for about four crores, but he does not want to limit his success to just a house, car and money.

For him, social media has given him name, respect and recognition along with financial income. “Social media has not only given money, but also respect, respect and name. “I have been able to connect with millions of viewers in the country and abroad. So I will continue to do it.” ’

Netra has not only used the income from social media in his personal life but has also been helping in various social and humanitarian works. He has been helping the poor, sick and people in distress, recently donated relief materials worth about Rs 13 lakh to the families affected by the floods in the Bhotekoshi area. He says that he will get more satisfaction if he can use a part of the money earned from social media in social service. Netra’s identity is not limited to Tiktok Live Host, he has acted in music videos of various songs.

His digital journey, which started with YouTube, has now spread to different platforms of various social networks. He has established relationships with different audiences through blogging and tech content on YouTube, various content on Facebook, and short videos and live on Tiktok. This has helped him to establish himself in different mediums of the digital world without relying on one platform.

Netra’s life has shown that the misuse of social media can cause problems, but if it is used creatively and professionally, it can become a door to opportunity. His success has also raised a question about the negative perception of social media in society, is the fault in social media or in the way it is used?

In Netra’s experience, social media can be used not only as a means to pass time, but also as a means to learn, create, connect with audiences and earn money. The millions of viewers seen on her mobile screen today are not just numbers. These viewers are a testament to her years of hard work, continuity and digital journey.

The story of Netra Bhusal, who emerged in the digital world from an ordinary family in Arghakhanchi, is also a message for today’s youth, how much time is spent on social media can determine the future.

His journey, which started with his finger on the mobile screen, has now reached a house, a car, an income of crores and social identity. Therefore, amidst the commentary that social media is only a means to spoil the youth, the story of Netra has become a different example, if there is the right thinking, continuous hard work and creative use, social media can also become a medium to build the future.