Social Media Use and Impact on Voters and Candidates in Kerala

Bibliographic Data

ID21605933
AuthorsAshok Balasundaram (0000-0002-2663-6811, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, corresponding author), N V Sreedharan (Amrita School of Arts and Sciences, Kochi, Kerala, India), D Dinesh Babu (Amrita School of Arts and Sciences, Kochi, Kerala, India), D Vidyanadha Babu (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham), Prateesh P Gopinath (Kerala Agricultural University)
Year2024
Publication date2024-05-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Creative Communications (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0973-2586 • E-ISSN: 0973-2594
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/09732586231223841
OpenAlexW4397290557
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

This article presents a comprehensive survey of social media usage among Kerala voters across three parliamentary constituencies ( N = 1500). It explores the socio-economic factors influencing both online and offline political engagement and sheds light on how social media empowers younger voters by reducing their reliance on traditional influencers. Kerala’s social media trends align with those of developed nations like the USA, in contrast to broader Indian digital and gender divide indicators. The study also delves into the social media strategies of 280 successful candidates in the April 2019 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections, identifying the key factors influencing their electoral success. Notably, Facebook engagement metrics, such as shares and followers, emerge as more significant predictors of candidate winnability than Twitter metrics. The research highlights the profound impact of social media on political communication, perception, youth participation and candidate strategies, ultimately shaping electoral outcomes in Kerala. This study addresses a critical research gap regarding social media use among Kerala voters and the reciprocal strategies adopted by candidates, including the predictive impact on candidates’ performance

Political science · Social media · Sociology · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology · South Asian Cinema and Culture

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