At the time of elections in the developed nations of the world, the influence of social media on elections is increasing on a large scale. Even India has not been spared from the influence of social media on these elections. Be it US presidential election candidate Donald Trump or Indian Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. For both the candidates, social media is playing an important role in influencing the youth.
Due to the affordability of data plans and smartphones, the number of internet or social media users is increasing with time. Because of the rise in social media users, social media on elections are connected in India because social media has a significant impact on the Indian elections 2024.
The impact of Social Media on Elections was also there in 2014 – 2019
Due to the ever-increasing use of smartphones and social media in the world, elections are having a huge impact. The number of youth in India today is the highest among countries in the world. Today, India has the largest youth population in the world, with about 66% of its population (808 million) being under 35 years of age. That is why today Phase 3 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 has been completed in India. The next fourth phase of elections is going to take place.
In the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the country’s PM Narendra Modi made extensive use of social media election campaign. You already know that Narendra Modi has become Prime Minister twice before from the BJP party. The influence of social media had a 60% contribution in the BJP winning the elections of 2014 and 2019. Therefore, this time in the Lok Sabha elections, all the parties of India are competing to make good use of the influence of social media.
During the General election of 2019, research on misinformation on social media showed that the spread of false information was a part of the political awareness through social media by major parties against their opponents. Most misinformation originated from the BJP and Congress accounts. The research finds “corruption, religion, nationalism, celebrity, and more” as the dominant topic of misinformation.
During the election in 2023, political parties reportedly spread deepfake videos on Whatsapp and other social media platforms. One such media was a political leader urging people to vote for his rival party.
A recent investigation by Access Now and Global Witness demonstrated that YouTube approved 48 advertisements in English, Hindi, and Telugu violating YouTube policies regarding election misinformation.
AltNews, Boom, and the Indian Government Press Information Bureau (PIB) are independent fact-check platforms in India that run PIB fact-checks. However, the Supreme Court has put a hold on the fact check unit establishment of the PIB as a body with the power to mark alleged misinformation concerning the government and its agencies.
Impact of social media on elections becomes a threat to opposition parties
The Election Commission of India (ECI), holding the world’s largest election, has used social media platforms to encourage voters to vote in the General Election 2024. They use memes to reach the electorate, especially the young and first-time voters. They use quirky lines or dialogue from popular movies from popular movies in the memes to drive the message home.
The ECI posted on X (formerly Twitter) “We are excited to vote in #LokSabhaElections2024 Are you ready too?#SaathChalenge #Elections2024 #ChunavKaParv #DeshKaGarv #FirstTimeVoters #ECI,” with a meme based on a still from a scene from a movie “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani” with a tagline of “’Excitement of first-time voters before voting’.
On the eve of the first phase of the polls, the ECI post several posts and digital posters on X to motivate voters to come out and exercise their votes. It also reposted a meme on X themed on the film “Gangubai Kathiawadi” shared by Doordarshan and a classic poster by Amul on the 2024 election with the tagline “World Greataste Election! Amul your favorite choice.”
In short, the ECI has used social media platforms to integrate social media and political communication. It means that the ECI has used these platforms for political communication and awareness.
Impact of social media influencer
To reach a younger audience, several political figures have developed appearances on famous social media influencers and YouTube channels. Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia with 7 million subscribers is one such example who has invited several BJP officials, like Piyush Goyal, Smith Irani, and more. In contrast, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined Kamla Jani for a candid conversation over a meal. She is a founder of Curly Tales which is a travel and meal podcast.
According to the experts, the BJP had the first-mover advantage in integrating social media on politics as many politicians were not present on these platforms in the General Election 2019. In short, the social media on elections integration has a significant impact.
Conclusion : Impact of Social Media on Elections in 2024
Currently, there is a huge relationship between social media and elections, especially in the Indian General Election 2024. From spreading misinformation to affecting social media influencers, there are countless impacts of social media platforms on the Indian election of 2024. We have only highlighted a few but there are other positive and negative effects of these platforms.
FAQ : Impact of Social Media on Elections
Q. What is the Impact of social media on elections?
Ans. Social media platforms allow political campaigns to rapidly send information to a wider audience.
Q. What is the impact of social media on elections in india?
Ans. From empowering small businesses to boosting the reach of political campaigns, numerous impacts of social media in India.
Q. Why is social media used in campaigns?
Ans. By running a campaign on social media, you can increase the reach of your campaign.
Q. What are the political impact of social media on elections?
Ans. The free flow of information on the internet and social media can have a significant contribution to open debate and an exchange of insight, two essential tenets of democracy.
Q. How does social media influence us?
Ans. The content on social media can significantly influence our views and thoughts.
