Information and communication technology has given us various social media platforms. Social media is a digital platform that can be accessed through the internet where we can connect and communicate with people all around the globe. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (also known as ‘X’) are some of the most used social media platforms.

We use social media platforms in our everyday lives to communicate, share, and express our opinions freely. Social media is the platform for people to share their opinions and views. Since billions of people are engaged on social media, our opinions can easily spread and reach out to the wider community of people in an instant.

Social media can easily shape public opinion by its strong and deep influence. Since many of the individuals are so deeply attached to social media they have all their trust given to the posts that pop up on the platform. People view the posts on social media platforms and tend to believe in them without knowing the facts. Social media presents the same issue from different angles which influence the common people and can also create conflicts at times. It can also negatively shape public opinions. Say, for example, a cricket player is playing a certain tournament or series. People post their comments about the cricketer, some portraying him as a good player, others portraying him as a bad player.  When people make judgments about him based on those posts, their judgments may not be valid.

Social media posts can make or break the image of popular stars and celebrities, as millions of people follow them and get easily influenced by their posts. This applies to common people too and that’s why many people tend to fake themselves on social media platforms.

Thus, social media platforms can easily shape and change public opinions in both positive and negative ways. We must spread positivity by sharing, posting, and engaging in positive posts. Think positive, give up negativity.

By: Adesh Kafle (Law, M1)