Social media is reducing social barriers. It connects people on

In the words of Narendra Modi, a statesman who has witnessed both division and unity among peoples, we hear a vision of the digital age: “Social media is reducing social barriers. It connects people on the strength of human values, not identities.” This saying is not simply about technology; it is about the eternal longing of humankind to see beyond divisions, to meet one another not as strangers of blood or creed, but as companions of shared humanity. Social media, for all its flaws, has become a great river, carrying voices across mountains, oceans, and borders. In that current lies both peril and possibility—but also the promise of unity.

At the heart of this saying is the contrast between identity and values. Identity is the cloak of birth—our nation, our language, our class, our religion. It is what separates us, what often divides us into tribes that distrust and compete. But values—compassion, kindness, courage, justice—are deeper than any label. They are the bedrock of the human spirit. Social media, in its truest use, allows us to meet one another through these values, transcending the masks of identity. A stranger across the world who shares your grief, your hope, or your laughter is no longer only a stranger; they are kin of the spirit.

The ancients longed for such unity, though they knew it only in fragments. The Stoics spoke of the cosmopolis, the great city of the world, where all men and women would be citizens not of tribe but of humanity. Marcus Aurelius wrote that “we are made for cooperation,” that the hand and the foot exist not for themselves, but for the body. In our age, what was once philosophy becomes reality: through the web of social connection, the barriers that separated tribe from tribe dissolve, and we may see one another as parts of a greater whole.

History itself testifies to the power of voices that transcend identity. When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dream, it was not a dream for one race alone, but for justice that belonged to all mankind. His words reached beyond the boundaries of skin, and even those who had never known oppression were moved by his call for dignity. Today, through social media, such voices can travel instantly across the earth, stirring hearts in lands the speaker may never touch. It is proof of Modi’s insight: barriers fall when values are louder than divisions.

Yet we must not forget that barriers do not disappear without struggle. Social media also magnifies hatred, falsehood, and division. But here lies the deeper wisdom of the quote: it is not the medium alone, but how we choose to use it, that matters. If we allow our engagement to be guided by values—by empathy, respect, truth—then we turn the current of this river toward unity. If we fall to fear and anger, we build barriers anew. The platform is a tool; the spirit with which we use it determines its power.

The lesson for us is this: in your interactions, whether online or face-to-face, seek to meet others on the ground of human values. Ask not only who they are by identity, but what they stand for, what they love, what they hope for. Share not only your pride of difference, but also the flame of your common humanity. Build bridges with words, and listen as though every voice carries a fragment of the same eternal truth.

Practically, this means using social media—and all human connection—with mindfulness. Choose to amplify kindness, not cruelty. Share wisdom, not falsehood. Defend the dignity of others, even those unlike yourself. And when you are tempted to divide, remember the Stoic city of the world, and remember that the heart of another beats not so differently from your own.

So let us remember Narendra Modi’s wisdom: social media can reduce barriers when guided by human values. It is not identity that binds us, but the eternal virtues of compassion, courage, and truth. If we choose to live by these, the digital age becomes not a snare of division, but a triumph of unity, where the many voices of humanity rise together in one great song.