# Suriya tells students to swap Instagram Reels for podcasts and deeper research

Published 2026-10-18T05:37:18Z

> At the 47th anniversary of his father Sivakumar's educational trust, Suriya told students to watch long-form podcasts instead of Reels, treat failure like another take on a film set, and help at least one person once they succeed.

Suriya has told students to spend less time on Instagram Reels and more on long-form podcasts and proper online research. He spoke at the 47th anniversary celebration of the Sivakumar Educational Trust, which is run by his father, veteran actor Sivakumar.

"If you keep watching Reels, you are only watching a story. You may not learn anything from it," the actor said. He wanted students to learn from the real lives of successful people instead of only skimming the surface of a subject.

He also took a lesson from the film set. "The director never says, 'You have failed.' Instead, he says, 'One more.'" Life works the same way, Suriya said, and there is always one more chance, so students should stay hopeful and keep trying.

On his own career, he admitted he was not a skilled actor when he started. Steady work over around 30 years, and a conscious effort to get better at his craft, made him the star he is today.

Gratitude was another theme. A single performance, he pointed out, depends on the director, writer, cinematographer, editor, action director and many other technicians. He asked every student to lift up at least one person once they reach a position of power and influence. At the event, Suriya and Sivakumar gave Rs 13.78 lakh in financial help to students and educational institutions.

His Agaram Foundation supports students who face social and financial barriers to education. It has helped 51 students become doctors and about 1,800 take up careers in engineering, work that R Madhavan praised last month. At an earlier event in Chennai, Suriya said more than 6,000 students had benefited, many of them the first in their families to study after Class 12.

## Related people
- [R Madhavan](https://clapnumber.com/celebrities/r-madhavan)
- [Suriya Sivakumar](https://clapnumber.com/celebrities/suriya-sivakumar)

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Source: https://clapnumber.com/news/suriya-tells-students-to-swap-instagram-reels-for-podcasts-and-deeper-research
Retrieved: 2026-10-18