5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Social media has emerged as an important force in influencing the public opinion on certain issues through the creation of narratives on particular issues over a period of time. These narratives emerged at the local level but through social media spread at wider level and create global impact. The recent wars between Russia and Ukraine successfully created various narratives. Apart from the main media, social media channels created narratives in favor or against one or the other country. Similarly, war between Israel and Hamas has divided the social media; pro-Israel or pro-Philistine. This has generated different kind of narratives both at the local and global levels. Sociological interest in such phenomenon is age old developed in the classical studies of Radio and Film propaganda conducted by Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert K. Merton. The theory and methodology developed by them still relevant in understanding the narratives produced by the social media at the local level as well as at the global level. Interconnectivity of different types of media platform in contemporary situation needs to develop new conceptual and methodological tool of analysis.