India General Elections 2014 with Social Mobile Apps : We Chat, We Decide, We Vote.

by - 11:51 PM

  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

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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