In times when knowledge is stored and remixed as data, the tradition of storytelling still holds its own. The use of data-driven analytics and digital media to reach voters has become increasingly common in election times. However, the highlight of a campaign is the candidates addressing constituents and sharing stories of struggle and commitment. This is what strikes a chord with voters. In an information-dense environment, stories capture the attention of audiences and can be the game-changer, especially when scepticism about facts and suspicions of doctored data prevail.
Historically, storytelling was woven into the fabric of society. Among marginalised communities, it evolved as a challenge to authority. Myths and legends have served as emblems of protest and dissent. At the same time, storytelling has also been used to perpetuate and enforce societal norms. When a story resonates with listeners, it is in turn an invitation for them to share their own stories. This was witnessed during the MeToo movement, when survivors were empowered to speak out and shake off the fear of stigma. The stories galvanised support for change and justice. The result was a strengthening of workplace mechanisms to prevent harassment.
Many organisations working for social advocacy also create ‘story banks’, documenting experiences to articulate their cause. Personal stories of young mothers struggling with demands of work and home and youngsters facing a choppy job market are increasingly heard on social media platforms, which invite engagement. Stand-up comedy is a popular form of storytelling, where nothing is off-limits and the audience finds catharsis in laughter.
The emergence of cryptocurrency is another example of the collective power of storytelling, which has helped develop and sustain a volatile market. Crypto defied the logic of traditional finance. Built on decentralised blockchain technology, its growth and popularity was fuelled by narrative, especially memetic stories shared online. Deconstructing stories of gains and losses provided a framework to navigate uncertain terrains, and enable decision-making to create market momentum. Today, if the market size of the global crypto market is approximately $2.6 trillion, it is in some part a testimony to the power of the narrative.
In today’s world, enterprises and governments increasingly follow various models of data- driven decision making. But very often, it’s the story that cuts through the analytics and numbers that makes an impact. If the metrics capture performance indicators, it’s the stories that draw a roadmap of the consequences. Storytelling serves not merely as a marketing tool, but as a qualitative measure of the outcomes. Writer Yuval Norah Harari says stories help humans cooperate. A story engages emotions, offers perspectives and helps people decide on participation. It makes complex technical issues comprehensible. Stories are an inter-subjective reality that bridges the space between the subjective and objective.
Preliterate societies relied on storytelling as a means of transmitting knowledge and traditions. In many communities, learning still happens through closely guarded oral transmission rites. Among Australian Aborigines, songlines served to map a landscape, locating waterholes in the desert. Such traditions preserved histories and geographies in memory, which became the bedrock of group identity and cohesion.
Almost every region in India has vibrant oral traditions that carry forward the cultural legacy of centuries. Oppressed communities which were excluded from access to education often have rich oral traditions. Their culture mirrors an extraordinary resilience by which they overcame challenges.
Storytelling as pedagogy is being widely adopted in the school curriculum, especially by the CBSE. This strategy aims to tackle the challenges in the learning environment, as digital learning often results in distraction and reduced attention spans. Storytelling, through the immediacy of presence, conveys trust to listeners. As the story initially builds tension and ultimately proffers a resolution, it piques interest, invites participation and accentuates sensory memory. It is thus an invaluable tool to reinforce learning.
With the use of digital media and AI, there is a resurgence in oral traditions. The audio- visual medium has a hypnotic storytelling presence. Media theorist Walter Ong spoke of a “secondary orality”, a consequence of using technological innovations. Digital media offers a platform for oral traditions, while AI seeks to augment and replicate the human voice. However, AI tools are no match for the originality and spontaneity of human expression. As AI devices listen, respond and fabricate stories, the distinction between lived experience and simulation becomes starker. It is also important to note that the scope of manipulation, propaganda and dilution tend to make digital voices unreliable. Algorithms can amplify or suppress stories to an extent that the reach of a story can be mistaken for authenticity.
Storytelling has enabled humans to dominate other species, and navigate uncertainty and violence. Stories have been the crucible for dreams and fantasies. Folklore based on collective memory is still treasured, for they foster values, help us see the larger picture and discover recursive meanings. And perhaps some stories, like what transpired when a bomb was dropped on a girl’s school in Iran, will remain untold. But it will not go unheeded, as the voices so suddenly silenced reverberate in the minds of people across the globe.
Even as stories get layered within stories, they distil human experience, which is beyond the capacity of any data-guzzling AI tool. Ultimately, stories are a reminder of the human essence—that the whole is more than the sum of parts.
(Views are personal)
Read all columns by Geetha Ravichandran
Geetha Ravichandran
Former bureaucrat and author of The Spell of the Rain Tree
