A Cause Of Concern? The Lasting Impact Of Social Media On Voters' Choices

Social media is always buzzing with one news or another about several political parties, particularly during elections. Technology has enabled us to spread an idea or an ideology to millions with a mere click or swipe. The first decade of the 2000s saw personal data belonging to millions of Facebook users collected without their consent by British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, predominantly used for political advertising.

Therefore, when India is looking forward to conducting assembly elections in several states, one cannot ignore the impact of social media to estimate which side the tide is turning.

Social Media Impact On Voters

According to a recent study conducted by iCubesWire, 35 per cent of the 1094 respondents said that that they use Facebook to read about state politics which is the highest among other social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter with 14 per cent, 17 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. Sahil Chopra, the founder and CEO of iCubesWire, tells The Logical Indian over mail, "The Upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh is a big event for India as over 250 million people are hooked onto their TV sets and mobile phones to follow every update regularly. Our survey has shown interesting trends in this space and going ahead; we believe more and more voters will switch to different social media platforms to keep track of the political parties, leaders and their social media campaigns".

Key Findings Of The Survey

Over 68 per cent of the respondents said that they engaged with politicians on social media, 85 per cent of respondents see advertisements related to political leaders while indicating a solid following of the famous politicians. Similarly, 31 per cent of respondents watch the news on social media, while 27 per cent read it. The rest, 42 per cent, consume the news in both videos and writing format. When asked on what basis these voters assess a political candidate, 26 per cent said they watch it on TV, 15 per cent read articles in newspapers, 26 per cent preferred research on all social media platforms. In comparison, 33 per cent consider all of the above before making a choice.

Moreover, 82 per cent of respondents said they keep an eye on political candidates' social media once the election gets over. 79 per cent also check the number of followers, likes, and subscribers on a politicians' social media account. Surprisingly, 80 per cent of voters think political advertising on social media platforms is an excellent way to keep the voters engaged and inclined towards a political party. In contrast, the other 18 per cent think that it's not the case.

Founded in 2010, iCubesWire is a digital marketing agency in India that offers 360° concepts to over 250+ clients across e-Commerce, Automobile, Technology, Finance, Travel, Hospitality and more.

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