New Delhi, March 20 -- Scroll through social media long enough, and in all likelihood you will find someone's life unfolding in real time. A breakup explained through a string of videos; a carousel unpacking a relationship argument; a creator narrating a difficult conversation with a friend. For years, this confessional style of posting was framed as authenticity. Being open meant being relatable. But lately, the comments sections tell a slightly different story. Under deeply personal posts, the reaction is often blunt: this could have stayed private.

For some viewers, the discomfort comes from the scale of personal disclosure online. Mumbai-based media practitioner Akshada (who only uses one name), 25, says social media once felt like a...