India General Elections 2014 with Social Mobile Apps : We Chat, We Decide, We Vote.
How would you inspire and
mobilize India’s youth to vote in the Indian General Elections 2014 using
social mobile apps?, it’s an interesting contest which I came across almost at
the last moment of the closing date on Indiblogger. One who has a tapered view
over the topic might guess that it is also a promotion contest; of course it is
but more than that one cannot deny the role social media is playing in deciding
the future of politics. Indian against Corruption (IAC) and AAP made use of the
same social media to maximum extent to change the scenario in Delhi. Social
mobile apps played a significant role in feeding patriotism to young generation
to fight against corruption and injustice. Without any scepticism these
apps can play a vital role not just in inspiring and mobilizing the youth to
vote, but also to weed out the immoral contestants and pick a right leader.
According to a recent Google survey 37%
of the urban voters are online, which is slightly lesser than the 42% of voters
who are still in the limbo. But when I interpret the same survey, I am very
sure the percentage will increase when the 37% can influence their surroundings,
if not at least their families and friends. Secondly, the guidelines issued by
the election commission, to regulate the money spent in online campaigning
clearly indicate the impact social media and social mobile apps have made in
deciding the nation’s future. Keeping the election campaigning aside, the other
factor which worries us in general is the voter turnout. It is generally
presumed that once people are educated, many of the social issues can be sorted
out. But the percentage of voter turnout never showed any improvement, even
though our literacy rate continuously increased every 10 years. Voter turnout
is approximately around 60% irrespective of steps taken to encourage people to
vote. One can come to a conclusion that literacy rate growth under our
education system may not have substantial impact in tackling social issues
which starts from one’s duty to vote. Preferring not to vote is
equivalent to voting the corrupt. Social mobile apps can play a crucial role in
illuminating the youth and bring them under a common umbrella to fight against
injustice and the revolution should start by delivering their duty to vote. The
role of paid media and party oriented media can be nullified or at
least minimized by social mobile apps
According to a recent Google survey 37%
of the urban voters are online, which is slightly lesser than the 42% of voters
who are still in the limbo. But when I interpret the same survey, I am very
sure the percentage will increase when the 37% can influence their surroundings,
if not at least their families and friends. Secondly, the guidelines issued by
the election commission, to regulate the money spent in online campaigning
clearly indicate the impact social media and social mobile apps have made in
deciding the nation’s future. Keeping the election campaigning aside, the other
factor which worries us in general is the voter turnout. It is generally
presumed that once people are educated, many of the social issues can be sorted
out. But the percentage of voter turnout never showed any improvement, even
though our literacy rate continuously increased every 10 years. Voter turnout
is approximately around 60% irrespective of steps taken to encourage people to
vote. One can come to a conclusion that literacy rate growth under our
education system may not have substantial impact in tackling social issues
which starts from one’s duty to vote. Preferring not to vote is
equivalent to voting the corrupt. Social mobile apps can play a crucial role in
illuminating the youth and bring them under a common umbrella to fight against
injustice and the revolution should start by delivering their duty to vote. The
role of paid media and party oriented media can be nullified or at
least minimized by social mobile apps
I would not involve in any false
proselytization, but would discuss the need to vote and choose the right person
through social mobile apps. I will list out the various issues in my
constituencies and share with my friends and discuss it through by mobile app
and will galvanise them to vote by seeing the capability of the candidate and
not by the party in which he represents. My family believes me and when I am
inspired by someone due to any reason it will surely have impact in what my
family thinks. So for sure it is not just a single vote that will be generated,
but a cluster of votes from a family. Social mobile apps are like the neutron
in a chain reaction, from me it is shared to few and from the few to many and
from the many to most.
Abraham Lincoln referred to democracy as
a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Social
mobile apps can define and illustrate to youth of India about what it means by
the prepositions “of, by and for” as mentioned by Lincoln in his phrase and I
will be part of the team to define and illustrate it.
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