Abstract The rapid expansion of social media has significantly transformed political communication and civic engagement in India, particularly among youth. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter) have emerged as important sources of political information, discussion, and participation. This paper examines the role of social media in enhancing political awareness among youth in India and analyses its implications for democratic participation. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical approach based on secondary sources, existing literature, and contemporary developments in digital communication. Social media provides youth with immediate access to political information, encourages opinion formation, and facilitates engagement with political issues beyond traditional media structures. It has contributed to increased political awareness by enabling interactive communication, digital campaigns, and online discussions related to governance and public policy (Bajwa et al., 2025; Velmurugan, 2025). However, the study also highlights challenges such as misinformation, political polarization, and superficial engagement that may affect informed decision-making among young users. The paper argues that while social media serves as a powerful tool for political awareness and democratic participation, the promotion of digital literacy and responsible media usage is essential to ensure constructive political engagement. The findings emphasize that social media in India represents both an opportunity and a challenge in shaping politically aware and informed youth in the digital age.
Basavaraju (Sat,) studied this question.
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