An Analysis on Perceived Effects of Social Media in India

People have dramatically integrated social media into their lives and its power is hard to ignore. While social media has become a vital consideration in any communication strategy for a country where digital media is accessible, it has made the communication consumer a communication producer. India has close to 190 million social network users in 2016. The different forms of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Google Hangout, Instagram are easily accessed through a smart phone with an Internet connection. In developing countries, social networking is a means through which people acquire ICT. Seven in ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, share information, engage with news content and entertain themselves in America as per The PEW internet report 2017.

The multiple purposes for which online social networking is used include interpersonal and group communication, religious, health, political and business communication. They are fast becoming standard tools for professional practices. Major news outlets are using social media to deliver messages to the masses. While at an individual level, the authenticity and credibility of social media users can be doubted, it offers an accessible, widely available means of bi-directional flow of information between public and politicians. There are the anecdotal evidences of positive outcomes from the use of social media technology such as social activities like finding jobs via a particular social network or finding missing peoples during a natural calamity.. On the other hand, the negatives of social media correlated with the rise of narcissism in the society, creating short attention spans and sensationalism are enormously presented.

The usage and perceived effects of social media across India in the political, religious, social and other spheres will be presented. The study would focus on gender and income differences with respect to the perceived effect of social media.