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The most important use of social media has been to humanize the opinion makers in front of audiences who earlier took their views as some gold standard.
For old SM people, this task has been completed and it may be grating to see repetitive taunts on omniscient experts. (1/n)
For old SM people, this task has been completed and it may be grating to see repetitive taunts on omniscient experts. (1/n)
India is a big country with multiple speed information flows. What was obvious to those active on Twitter in 2014 is becoming obvious to many people in 2019 (eg several pollsters suck, Bollywood is hypocritical). (2/n)
A peek into school / college WhatsApp groups can easily corroborate this. Extremely educated anti-BJP people in my circle were shocked to know that PM @narendramodi wasn't losing in Varanasi and did not contest a second seat (this was reported in ET in Jan). (3/n)
Another generally aware, well read BJP *supporting* friend was shocked to know the names who camped in Begusarai.
SM is still expanding. About a billion Indians still do not have smartphones today! Many will discover the inherent biases of people they adore much later. (4/n)
SM is still expanding. About a billion Indians still do not have smartphones today! Many will discover the inherent biases of people they adore much later. (4/n)
Twitter can definitely be used to demand government accountability. But governments don't work on Twitter (unlike what many people believe). So by all accounts questions should be asked but quite likely, complex problems won't get solved here. (5/n)
As the medium expands on the margin - new users join, screenshots go to Facebook or WhatsApp, old users deep dive into new interest areas- no harm in demanding consistency from opinion makers too.
Many of us know they won't respond or change. But the message may percolate. (6/n)
Many of us know they won't respond or change. But the message may percolate. (6/n)
Especially because the media stars consider themselves fourth pillar of the democracy and hence indispensable, scrutiny of their opinions should be at the same level as that of the politicians. Power should come with inherent responsibility. (7/n)
Holding governments and those with institutional control over narrative accountable are two different Twitter use cases. Doing one doesn't preclude the other. Some Twitter users may be good at or interested in one or the other. IMO, let them be. (n/n)
