TRITON Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 47

“ We let people come and tell us what kind of storytellers they want to be , and then we build a unique journey for the different paths they want to take .”
— LAKSHYA DATTA ’ 11 insights into their lives , with common themes of love , loneliness and heartbreak coming through . And while these experiences appear to be universal among users , they are equally transformative . The community is fueled further by the support the storytellers provide for each other . “ There is a comfort in knowing youʼre not alone ,” says Datta . “ And with the internet , you could be on different continents but still have a special connection with someone who has been through similar experiences .”
This unique perspective has given Datta the unexpected role as a quasi-social scientist , with Launchora as the lens revealing insights on what we can learn about the youth of today and what that means for the future . So far , what he ’ s found is a community of people who are courageous , accepting and self-aware . The stories shared on his site paint a picture of young people undeterred by the past and hopeful about the future . “ If you explore the things you ’ re afraid of , you can take the power away from those things and use it to benefit you and your path ,” Datta says . “ I ’ ve learned that by reading these stories . The community on the site — the young people of today — they ’ re fearless . They may be worried about things , but they are not afraid .”
As for Datta , the chance to foster storytelling around the world has led his own life in a direction he never expected , and he ’ s excited to see where it leads . Or , as he states on his own Launchora profile : “ Sometimes I think I ’ m trapped in a story that ’ s already been written . I write to find my way out .”
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