With nearly 34% active social media penetration*, India boasts the highest number of Facebook users worldwide. And WhatsApp is the most used social media channel in the country. This simply shows how Indians are adapting to social media usage.

With digital interactions penetrating every corner of our lives, politics can’t remain untouched. So, we surveyed the impact of social media on Indian politics. And the facts show how citizens are utilizing digital platforms to make themselves conversant in the language of politics.

Survey Details and Panel Information

Track Opinion is proud to have an established panel of members from various demographics like age, country, education, profession, and interests. With 4.5M active members across the globe, conducting studies on diverse topics is never a challenge for us.

We reached out to our registered panelists for this study in India. Out of 326 survey visits, we received 202 completed responses from the panel members, locking in a whopping 62% turnaround. 0 abandonment and no partial responses made our survey even more successful from the perspective of nearly no junk data.

The demographics of the participants included people who identify themselves as male, female, LGBTQIA+, and even those who didn’t like to reveal their sexual orientation. In addition, the age group included people from 18 to 65 years.

The overall impact of social media on Indian politics looks positive with the data we received. Here is a detailed insight from the survey.

How Social Media Impacts the Political Scenario in India

Usage of Social media

75.74% of the people responded that they use social media daily to stay informed about politics. While a negligible number of participants said they don’t use social media for politics at all, the number was just a little less than 1% during elections.

This tiny number was surprising data and shows how people have imbibed constant awareness and learning about the political environment in the country through social media.

When asked which social media platforms they prefer, YouTube clearly won the race with 92% votes, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Since YouTube is a video streaming platform, we can conclude that Indians use the streaming channel to watch news clippings of Hindi, regional, and English broadcasts.

This might also include live relays of rallies, speeches, election updates, and other activities in the political arena.

Importance of Social Media in Indian Politics

When asked about the importance of social media in shaping political opinions and preferences, 51.98% of respondents rate it as extremely important. Hardly a total of 2.48% of people ignore social media and its role in this aspect.

This was hearty news to learn that the citizens are highly aware of educating themselves about the political happenings around the country (and maybe the world) through social websites.

Nearly 63% of respondents consider social media significantly impactful in its role in political education among the nationals. And just 2.48% of the people consider this way of awareness development completely insignificant.

While 52.97% think social media has made Indian politics more transparent and accessible, only 2.48% negate this opinion.

Sadly, 44.06% of the panel members agree that social media has contributed to increased polarization in Indian politics. The reason could be: people are getting more clarity about the hidden aspects of politics and the role anarchy, biasing, and media play. And hence, they’re developing stronger opinions about the political scenarios and happenings in India, resulting in a strong polarization.

Another reason could be that nearly 76% of people fact-check the political information they encounter across social media channels. And 80.69% of the people develop stronger opinions about political leaders.

The Flip Side

When asked how concerned the respondents are about the spread of wrong information and fake news, 52.97% of the population said this worries them extremely. Even 59.9% of the people think that stronger regulations should be brought into the picture to restrict this folly of misinformation propagation. 24.26% of the panel members support them to some level.

Hence, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that the authorities should release stricter social media policies in conjunction with the cyber department and IT cell.

49.01% of the respondents decide to consider the news true based on the source of publication rather than blindly trusting the social media channels. And 5.45% of internet enthusiasts do their own research to cross-verify the headlines and understand the depth of political incidents. However, 17.82% find it difficult to trust social media pop-ups, posts, and videos related to political news.

And yet 72.77% of people rely on social media to make themselves aware of the political news in India.

Influence on the Voice of People

When asked how often they use social media channels to share their own opinions about the political state of the country, we got diverse opinions. While 51.49% of the users often use these outlets to voice out their minds, nearly the same amount of people either occasionally use social media or never use it. This number also includes 4.95% of the people who get active only during elections.

49.5% of the respondents agree that social media has a vital role to play in changing their perceptions about the political scenes in the country. Since 37.62% of the people credit digital channels for their increased awareness in this regard, we can say that a little less than 90% of the people regard social media as a positive role player in changing people’s perception of politics in the nation.

70.3% of the people even decide on their voting choices based on their knowledge of politics via social media avenues. A staggering 91.09% of people think social media has made Indian politics more accessible to the public.

When asked if social media impacts the political discourse in India, most citizens agreed and responded positively to the internet community and forums. The graph below shows how social media opens new discussion channels, arguments, debates, and discourse between political leaders and their audiences.

This data confirms social networking platforms have opened a 2-way communication line between citizens and political parties.

Summary of the Study on the Influence of Social Media on Indian Politics

The data show that the informed generation of mobile users and social media enthusiasts across all age groups rely on cyberspace and social media. Moreover, several of them upgrade themselves with news on the country’s political affairs and rely on it.

But some also believe that the news and information propagating this way is biased, causes polarization, and needs strong regulations. However, they also agree that social media has opened new pathways to initiate a discourse between the receivers (citizens) and constitutional players.

Should you need a detailed report of this study, email us today.

How Track Opinion can help with Your Research Needs

Track Opinion is a leading player in the market research industry with 13+ years of rich experience. We have a panel of 4.5 million registered members across all the major countries and in diverse demographics. Our expertise lies in CATI, online survey forms, and focus-group and individual interviews.

Should you be in need to research your market or industry, please contact us here to initiate a discussion.

* Statista Report