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Impact of Social Media on Indian Society towards Women

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 IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY ISBN : 978-93-85664-67-0

Impact of Social Media on Indian Society towards Women

Aditi Bhushan*, Priya R. Kumar**
*M.Ed. Student, Gurukrupa College of Eduacation and
Research, University of Mumbai, Kalyan
**Managing Director, Parko Technologies, New Delhi, India
adipriya5@gmail.com*, parko.tech@gmail.com**

Abstract
Today’s social media is a powerful weapon to bring revolutionary changes in our society
as a whole.It has speedily spread awareness in the society; the effect of movement
happening in any part of the World has global impact. Proliferation of feminists, activists,
environmentalist and many more have surpassed making people realize to think rationally
and beyond boundaries. Advent of Internet with its prolific scrumptious technologies has made
our lives easy. Interestingly, we are in phase of knowledge explosion. We do know many
things now; children have their teachers in the pocket in form of smartphone teaching apps.
Alexa, Google Voice are slaves to our commands. These are providing a changed thinking
of Indian society, which are now more open, welcome values of each culture; moreover, it
has started valuing the women of our society.

Keywords : Social Media, Society, Patriarchy, Feminism, Women Empowerment, Gender

Sensitisation

Introduction
Counting on since the year our nation has become independent in 1947. These 72 years
of has effusive enhancements in prospects of media and thereby the status of Indian women
in patriarchal society.
At first few years since mid-60s, social media was in audible form of radios. Working on
manual tuning of frequencies airing various radio channels. This epoch has started giving
some recognition to women of India. Global recognition to Indian singers like LataMangeshkar,
Asha Bhosle, Suraiya etc. was given. It was ReitaFaria Powel an Indian model, doctor and
beauty queen, who won Miss World 1966 to become the first Asian woman to win the title. She
also went on to become the first Miss World winner to qualify as a doctor. AratiSaha became
the first Indian and Asian woman to swim across English Channel in the year 1959. She also
became the first female sportsperson awarded with Padma Shri in 1960.("22 Indian women
who were the 'firsts' in their field" 2017). Then radio has played inevitably wonderful role
in changing the traditional mindset of society; to not send girls outside of home premises.
Early, when girls were forbidden with vocational education in this era sought admissions at
elementary level.
Mid-70s was epoch of Television. Doorarshan the primitive broadcasting channel by
Government has its onset begin on 15 September 1959 with first centers at Delhi. With a
small transmitter of 05 kilowatt was inaugurated by President Rajendra Prasad.In 1970,
the total duration of general television programs increased to three hours. This three hours
transmission included a 20-minute weekly program 'krishidarshan' for farmers in about 80
villages where farm tele clubs had been organized. This era had witnessed first female

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 IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY ISBN : 978-93-85664-67-0

news reader, PratimaPuri. Entertainment Industry has given actresses like HemaMalini,
Parveen Babi, ZeenatAman, Jaya Bahaduri etc. ZeenatAman, the well-known actresswon
the Miss Asia Pacific 1970 title. She is the first  south Asian woman to win the title.Most
important, first former female Indian President Smt. Indira Gandhi Ji, who has taken important
decisions like declaring state of emergency("The Emergency (India)" 2018), giving nation
World recognition by fraternizing terms with Soviet Union after the war. In 1975, she had
incorporated Sikkim into India, after a referendum in which a majority of Sikkimese voted
to join India.This was denounced as a "despicable act" by China (Bajpai, 1999). This was a
revolutionary period in change in perceived notions regarding women in society. Now people
had goals and examples to make their daughter like someone, and they started nourishing
and educating the female side.
1980s has bring many amendments in Indian constitution for welfare of women health and
society and towards education.Series of laws passed for the upliftment of women, giving
equal rights and privileges with men under Article 14, eliminating discriminations under Article
15 and removing inequalities by Article 16(a).All effect of media has aware Government
about pervert conditions of women of those times in society. Consequently, many acts were
passed for the same.The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 has provided equal rights to women
to obtain divorce.The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956 by virtue of this Act
a woman can adopt a boy or a girl as her son or daughter.The Hindu Succession Act of
1956, woman has got equal rights in the inheritance of family property.The Hindu Women
Right to Property Act of 1973has given more facilities to women. According to this Act, the
daughter, the widow, and the mother can inherit property of the deceased simultaneously.
Now women will hold her property absolutely with full right to sell, mortgage, and dispose
of, as she desires. However, according to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, woman has
only to enjoy her husband’s share in coparcenary property for her lifetime without any right
to alienate property.The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 has made taking or demanding
dowry is an offence punishable by imprisonment and or fines. The Equal Remuneration Act
of 1976 does not permit wage discrimination between male and female workers.Besides
legislations,Various Committees and Commissions emphasized the need for equalization of
educational opportunities towards women leading opening of different schools and colleges,
especially for women("Changing Status of Women after the Independence of India" 2013).
In the year of 1990s, the great discovery of Internet has taken place. Tim Berner Lee developed
browsers, protocols and hyper text markup language to create series of information that can
be send via wire medium in minimum of time. Advent of internet has come up with revolution in
status of women in Indian society. Feminist movement has brought change in mind-setup. This
was the time when across the globe when women have evolved and we saw them grabbing up
highest positions and becoming eminent leaders.IndraNooyi serving until today as PepsiCo's
Indian American chairperson and CEO with salary of $29.8 million. Schauna Chauhan is leading
person of Parle Agro, who with her other sisters have made the falling brand of Parle G after
division as unit of Parle Agro. With products like Frooty, Appy, Bailley and many more she has
made the company to reach on turnover of ₹2800 crore (US$ 431 million)(2017).
Now the running modern time of 21st Century is age of smartphones, tabloids, mobile apps
and laptops. Now the media has evolved itself and has become handy which we all say as
social media.Thehour of need has changed in this time.People are carrying encyclopedia
in their pocket. “‘Ok Google’, play me a Bollywood music”, your command, and music gets
start. Some automobiles like BMW locking mechanism can even be controlled by mobile
phone apps. With such amenities and explosion to knowledge social media has inevitably
bring remarkable changes in women status and quotient.

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 IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY ISBN : 978-93-85664-67-0

Social Media and its Forms

Social media network today has come up in many different forms, where one is using it for
marketing and promoting business, broadcasting news, e-education, getting jobs and blogging.
All such media forms have different target audience. Figure 1 is entailing about it.
As per (Bhalla, 2018) survey report in India male users of internet are still on top of the list as
compared to female. Figure 1, depicts the most usable social media forms in India.According to
a recent report ‘Internet in India 2017’ by the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI),
“the total number of internet users in the country is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018,
but only 30 percent of the number will make up female users.”
This is a significant big digital gender gap. When India is moving towards digitization, this
big digital gender gap is still a questioning thing demanding of digital literacy among females.
Moreover, the digital gender ratio in urban area is 64:36 for internet usage. These data and
figures are pointing towards ponderable status of women literacy in India in this digital era.

Impacts on Womenin India

#MeToo
This media is influenced by International spurt of women speaking against sexual harassment.
In India, where it was considered taboo and victim female was seen disrespectfully. #MeToo
movement has given a voice to women. Large number of public figures has come out speaking
against what they had faced in past but was not speaking due to fear of losing job and respect
in society. Started with Hollywood to Australia, to UK and now to Bollywood India. Women
across the Global are speaking and stood up for themselves. Which indeed is a great impactful
visionary change. Facebook and Twitter has provided a safe space to Indian women to speak
up for themselves.

#PadManChallenge
In India, girls or women passing through her menstrual cycles are considered untouchables
and impure. They are adhere to many objections as in they cannot worship, go to temples, touch
pickles, sleep on bed, cannot use kitchen etc. Moreover, the pharmacist on asking for sanitary
pads wrap them around in newspaper, put them in black colored polythene bag and then give
to the customer. Bleeding is natural and it should not be taken the way we are dealing with it

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 IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY ISBN : 978-93-85664-67-0

since many ages. In 2018, large number of celebrities like Akshay Khanna, Twinkle Khanna,
DeepikaPadukone, Amir Khan took it on their twitter or Instagram handle and posted their
updates and pictures of holding sanitary pads in their hands with #PadManChallenge. This has
changed the perception of looking down at periods of patriarchal society to much greater extent.

#SelfieWithDaughter
This was most appreciated campaign, as it was initated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in his aired radio show mankibaat on 28 January 2015. Here he has also admired
the Haryana man for posting his selfie with her daughter. After this, many men came out in
support of daughters posing up and putting beautiful pictures of father and daughter under
#SelfieWithDaughter hashtag over social media.

#BetiBachaoBetiPadhao
Again a great initiative by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi over twitter handle. This
movement was taken against cases to stop plunging growth in female feticide along with to
reduce number of drop out cases of girls from school every year. There was a major decline in
sex ratio of girls. This movement has also come up with positive vibes in society. Now having
a girl child is not considered as curse any more.

Conclusion
We would like to conclude on positive note of good effects of social media on Indian Society
for women. In India, women has now many opportunities in education, work place and in jobs.
People are breaking shackles of ruthless traditions and speaking for what is right and what
changes this society needs to bring. We would also like to comment on digital literacy rate,
which is still very low for women. If we will promote education in every sector for women. We
can help in developing India better.

References
• James F. Fisher (1978). Himalayan Anthropology: The Indo-Tibetan Interface. Walter de
Gruyter. p. 225.
• “BetiBachaoBetiPadhao.”  BetiBachaoBetiPadhao - Vikaspedia, vikaspedia.in/social-
welfare/women-and-child-development/child-development-1/girl-child-welfare/beti-bachao-
beti-padhao.
• Bhalla, Tarush. “Male Users Still Dominate Internet in India: IAMAI Report.” YourStory.com,
Yourstory, 20 Feb. 2018, yourstory.com/2018/02/men-still-dominate-internet-in-india/.
• Bajpai, G. S. (1999). China's Shadow Over Sikkim: The Politics of Intimidation. Lancer
Publishers. p. 210. ISBN 978-1897829523.
• “Changing Status of Women after the Independence of India.”  Your Article Library, 10
Dec. 2013, www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/changing-status-of-women-after-the-
independence-of-india/4398.
• IndiaToday.in. “22 Indian Women Who Were the 'Firsts' in Their Field.” India Today, 14
Aug. 2017, www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/the-first-indian-
women-312243-2016-03-08.
• “The Emergency (India).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India).

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