https://youtu.be/9mVxu-KlTSM?t=63 Kannan Gopinathan, IAS Resigned speaks on the Impact of Social Media. While any information platform can be a weapon of propaganda, the basic change in Social Media is that it will encourage two way communication. Further, anyone can speak to anyone else, and therefore it has the potential not to be hierarchical.
Twitter and Facebook are open. Whatsapp, is more controlled within groups. In a way, whatsapp is dangerous, in that without being confronted by the subject of conversation, any byte can be propagated. This then promotes polarisation of groups as the process involves encourages those who have a certain belief fortify their own positions, confirm their bias etc. So when a WA group is made by design to promote one type of idea it becomes a bias when a few people work to forward a certain type of messages, and have a few to provide likes, which puts the opinion of the rest in the background..
Contestation is essential. We need to counter one sided propaganda by not being silent..
Need for Samvaad.
Now each one whatever their education level or Place in the hierarchy, is technically able to respond, and speak their mind., contest, explain, disagree etc.
Twitter has now changed it policy to highlight those whom you engage with, more than those who you only follow..perhaps creating an echo chamber. Unless some of us consciously decide to engage with "the other".
Every person is now a content creator besides being purely a consumer. Earlier passive consumer, then a "follower" and now an "engager"..
But the engager will face three types of responses:
a) naming/stereotyping
b) character assassination, giving motivations vested interests,
c) What-about-ary. You have to ignore these three types of posts. and engage with the "other view" with the objective of reaching a situation where you end up with each one respecting the right of the other to hold their own view.
Now What's app is also become a platform for business transactions. Then promoting a kind of social consumerism
Slow Long Knowledge