India, Oct. 11 -- Ten years ago, a Kashmiri child's ambition might've been to become a doctor, a poet, or an engineer. But today, many dream of becoming a "content creator."

The smartphone camera has replaced the classroom as the center of aspiration. And for a growing number of young Kashmiris, fame, measured in likes, followers, and comments, has become the new form of achievement.

The shift represents a cultural and intellectual crisis unfolding before our eyes.

Social media in Kashmir has turned into a parallel education system, except that it teaches nothing. Children as young as ten scroll through a constant feed of short videos that reward visibility over substance.

These platforms thrive on algorithms that understand one th...