Social Media for Youth and Civic Engagement in India, 2019

The study ‘Social Media for Youth & Civic Engagement in India’ was commissioned by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and United Nations Volunteers India, to understand the nuances of social media’s impact on youth in India, and explore the possibilities of use of social media to promote civic engagement, instill social values and community service in India

Key Findings

  • With 250+ million social network users, India has the second highest number of social media users in the world.
  • Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp dominate the social media space in India. While, Instagram is also very popular amongst urban Indian youth.
  • Two-thirds of Facebook users in India are from the age group 15-29 years, that constitutes 27% of India’s population.
  • There is a deep gender disparity in usage of social media in India. Women who represent almost half of the population constitute just 22% Facebook users and 29% of internet users. The patriarchal restrictions on women’s autonomy, mobility and self-expression in India are also reflected in the digital space.
  • Social Media in India is an Urban phenomenon. The top 50-cities of India that constitute 15% of population have 50% of Facebook users in India, indicating the deep digital divide between rural and urban India.
  • Sex trafficking, child trafficking, drugs peddling through social media platforms pose potential threat to the youth.
  • Social media is a double-edged sword with several benefits as well as risks. Social media can be a powerful medium for delivering education, awareness and good citizenship but there are also risks such as behavioural addiction, cyberbullying and loss of data privacy.
  • If leveraged for civic engagement, social media can be used to solve some of the toughest problems of humanity

Recommendation

This report calls for strategic partnerships, knowledge dissemination and investments in research and development to mitigate the risks and unlock the potential of social media for promoting civic engagement in India.

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