Role of Social Media and Digital Technology for Political Campaigning

Abstract

Social media and the widespread use of digital technologies have led to a rise in social involvement and proactive participation in socio-political activities and political agendas. Nevertheless, our way of communicating is now undergoing development, and as a result, its impacts may be observed in the socio-economic-political aspects of the 'Information Society'. However, in a nation characterized by cultural intricacy and significant disparities in terms of accessibility, literacy, language, and geography, it is crucial to thoroughly examine multiple factors when discussing the utilization of social media in large-scale political campaigns. Social media exerted significant influence on voter behaviour during the 2014 general elections in India. Since 2014, several firms focused on social media emerged. As a result, several employment prospects were available for young individuals. By doing secondary data analyses of past research, journal articles, expert interviews, and books, a conceptual framework was developed. The current study primarily concentrates on the role of social media on political campaign, encompassing its significance, and potential prospects. Our research indicates that although politicians often claim to prioritize citizen involvement, they mostly utilize social media as a tool for disseminating information in a one-sided manner to persuade and for agenda setting. Additionally, they use social media to enhance their visibility and appear modern to the public. The study emphasizes the need for social media to be integrated into a comprehensive participatory democracy and communication strategy, rather than being viewed as a substitute for conventional campaigning efforts. This study will provide significant value to scholars and practitioners in the domains of journalism, mass communication, political science and marketing. It emphasizes the importance of political campaigning as a marketing approach with observable implications.