No Fizzy Drinks: How The Internet Fell In Love With Rohit Roy's Earnest Authenticity

I’m sure you’ve heard of rampant internet challenges like the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' or 'No Nut November', but the most remarkable internet trend I’ve found till date is called 'No Fizzy Drink For Me Today'. Don’t know what’s it all about? I’m here to tell you. It’s ironic that I am writing this while sipping on an energy drink but don’t let that take away anything from the epic journey of Rohit Roy. What started as a personal journey, has blossomed into something larger than life for Rohit and all his fans. No Fizzy Drink For Me Today is a journey chronicling Rohit’s journey of endearing earnestness and perseverance, from the first day to a thousand days and counting.

Take a look at one of his first posts below:

At first glance, one might think what is this middle-aged Indian man going on about? But if we can look past our Instagram filter-washed urban aesthete, ingrained body-shaming tendencies and colonial beauty fetishism, an amazing journey unfolds. Like millions of people across the globe, Rohit Roy was a slave to addiction. Amongst the countless harmful addictions you can think of, Rohit’s vice was being hooked on carbonated drinks. It is common knowledge that sugary soft drinks are one of the leading causes of diabetes, obesity, etc. but like all addictions, we helplessly fall prey to it and Rohit was no different.

However, in the year 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Rohit Roy took a stand against his addiction and chose to abstain from fizzy drinks entirely. To bolster his resolve, he decided to document his journey via social media. Over the course of days, months and years, Rohit not only gave up on sugary drinks but also provided his viewers with an unfiltered glimpse into his everyday life via minute-long TikTok vignettes. The internet fell in love with his cheery, positive disposition and his sunshine-like personality and thousands of people now look forward to his updates.

Rohit's journey is a gradual chronicle that unfolds with a refreshing earnestness. His stories have a relatable, quality to them that are a far cry from the curated aesthetics we see on our feeds every single day. Rohit Roy looks, walks, and talks like any other average Indian man, which makes his story all the more accessible. There's an unpretentious honesty and authenticity to the way he puts his adventures out into the world. Rather than using the platform he has as a form of vanity or as a vehicle to promote himself or sell something, he uses it to spread messages of determination, kindness, consistency, and self-discipline.

No Fizzy Drink Today provides us with an unpretentious glimpse inside the life of an everyperson. Through the years we've seen him change and grow and evolve as a human being; all the while remaining unwaveringly dedicated to the singular goal he's set forth for himself.

His videos narrate his journey to the West and how he is adapting to life as an immigrant. He is also a loving family man with a beautiful wife and daughter, who also feature in his videos. His wife has been his pillar of success, as he recounts often in his videos, and has supported his journey since day one.

As Rohit completes 1114 days of having no fizzy drinks, the TikTok sensation credits his viewers and their compassionate support for his success. The internet has always been a grey place. Most of the time we hear stories of cybercrime, online bullying or trolling, and even Rohit has had his fair share of that. Many have mocked his accent, and his looks and some even satirically commented to open a fundraiser to buy him a fizzy drink, but that has not affected his determination.

Rohit's allies are the waves of positivity that surround his journey. Positivity has a ripple effect — you give what you get and then, a little more. Rohit has shared his delightfully positive journey with the world and has inspired so many people to follow in his footsteps and in return, he has been showered with a love that continues to propel him forward. As I conclude sharing with you Rohit’s remarkable journey, I think he has inspired me to toss the remainder of my energy drink in the trash can!

Be a part of Rohit's incredible journey by following him here.

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