The people of J&K have embraced social media in a big way especially post abrogation of article 370 and today is an inseparable part of their lives. The social media foot prints in the region have been expanding in an exponential manner with government giving due impetus on all spheres of governance. Although, this has provided immense opportunities for the people in the region albeit with compounding challenges.
The J&K government has been using social media as a platform for ensuring good governance in the region by involving citizen in decision making process. The various welfare schemes, government policies and procedures are being propagated using social media platforms to the remotest locations. The social media platform has enhanced the global connectivity of the region. The intellectuals, people of various professions and youth are interacting with their counterparts around the globe and best practices are being employed in the region. One of the major factors in boosting tourism in the region can be attributed to the various social media platforms. Vlogging, reels of scenic places/spots in the region, sharing of photos/videos and experiences in social media have contributed immensely in this regard. Once known as a close-knit community, the various social media platforms are providing more insight into the rich traditions, customs and cultural heritage of the community and society as a whole. This has led to change in perception about the people of J&K inside the country and abroad.
The various social media platforms are being exploited by anti-national elements to spread misinformation and propaganda especially targeting security forces operating in the region. These issues many a times garner international traction and are used by our adversaries to propagate their agendas. The various deep states are using these platforms to radicalise the vulnerable youth and polarise the region by exploiting ethnic fault lines to include Shia – Sunni divide, the issue of Kashmiri Pandits, Khalistan etc. The increasing social media absorption in the region has also brought new challenges and has added a whole new dimension to this problem. It has impacted the mental health especially of the youth with increase cases of anxiety, depression and addiction. Social media platforms are power tools for community building especially in the areas which have remained disturbed in the past. The region of Jammu and Kashmir has seen tremendous positive impact of social media be it in the sphere of governance, tourism or enhancing global connectivity. These positive impacts at times are overshadowed by misinformation and propaganda campaigning which are aimed at undermining this transformation. As we move forward in time, the challenges are bound to get further complicated however, the positive transformations will always outweigh them.
