The Rise of Social Media in Indian Politics

Source-This post on The Rise of Social Media in Indian Politics has been created based on the article “Social media’s impact on Indian politics” published in “The Hindu” on 16 May 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2- Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Context-The article highlights the impact of social media on the Indian political landscape. Social media influencers and local “influencers” have gained significant popularity among youth voters, even surpassing traditional TV journalists. The Rise of Social Media in Indian Politics

What are the reasons behind the emergence of social media as a key player in 2024 elections?

1) Decline of traditional media-Its importance has risen because traditional media could not discharge its professional duty of presenting political issues credibly. It has resorted to more provocative and biased content for its survival.

2) Rise of social media influencer– Influencers who present dissenting views have quickly gained traction, aided by algorithms. These algorithms on platforms like YouTube and Facebook promote content that is rapidly gaining popularity to a wider audience. This enables them to influence the choices of voters.

Read more- EC Guidelines on Social Media Use in Political Campaigns

What is the positive impact of rise of social media in Indian Elections?

1) Platforms like social media offer diverse perspectives beyond government control and help in challenging the official narrative.

2) Influencers who do not align with any political party have gained credibility among voters due to the rise in numbers of social media users.

3) Social media has offered a space for political engagement to voters who were not able to express their views publicly because of fear of political victimization.

4) It has been rapidly adopted by the educated youth population who are disillusioned with traditional politics.

What is the negative impact of social media in Indian Elections?

1) Political narratives are now being shaped outside the formal party system. This may distort the structure of political parties.

2) Social media is making the party workers and intermediaries less relevant. This enables greater centralization within political parties because the leader can directly shape narratives.

3) Algorithms deployed by the social media platforms may lead to deeper polarization.

Question for practice

Critically examine the impact of social media on Indian politics?