AARYA RESEARCH COMPETITION

“Is the GEN Z YOUTH MOVING FROM EXISTENTIAL TO INTENTIONAL ONLINE SOCIAL ACTIVISM?”With this question in mind, the youth of College of Home Science Nirmala Niketan Arwa Attarwala, Hetvi Doshi, Mariya Khokhar, Ruqaiyah Karu, Sakina Manasawala, Mariya Khokhar conducted a survey amongst the youth of Mumbai.

Generation Z (Gen Z) comprising 1.2 billion young people or 16% of global population, use digital technology since a young age and are comfortable with Internetandsocial media for communication. Social mediaare interactive computer-mediated technologies facilitating creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities.Social media refers to all the applications and websites or blogs interconnect via internet, chats and share content.The use of social media has both positive and negative impact on our youths today.

Dr. Vishaka Karnad their guide says “In this research students aimed to bring to light the positive impact of social media specifically to the youth of this generation. The positive impact of social events happening around the globe enables them to network and stay connected to fellow youth and friends without physical meetings. It keeps them updated with current situations. It does not deny the harmful effects of social media but it purports that Gen Z realizes the use of social media for social activism than being simply existential by moving towards intentional social good”

Using India’s burgeoning internet culture acid victimshave become online activists establishing the stop acid attack campaign since 2013.The campaign has been raising awareness of the issue on social media and has used the internet to crowd fund resources for acid attacks survivors to gather funds for payments for medical treatment to legal fees to fight the perpetrators.

“THAT POST SAVED MY LIFE”Social media offers new home of justice to acid attacks survivor. Online community came to rescue social victims gave them the confidence stand on their grounds.

NIRBHAYA & SOCIAL ACTIVISM resulted as protests occurring online as well as on social media, Facebook and WhatsApp. Users replaced their profile images with a black dot symbol.Tens and thousands signed online petition protesting the incident.People were asking the lawmakers to awake and petition platform received more than 65,000 signatories.Government and judiciary pressurized to take cognizance to prevent repeat of such incidents.

With regards to obesity and social forum, World Health Organization has recognized the importance of social resources, as a valuable agent for behavior change in health promotion.Social resources are translated at the community level as a support provided by significant others such as family, partners and peers in the encouragement.Social support has been shown to improve health and well-being, whereas social isolation has been shown to have a negative impact on health outcome.Social support provided by peers has been shown to be a useful strategy to employ weight management programs.The documented increased use of ICT and social media has presented health promoters with a potentially useful medium to increase social support for weight management. Thus, social media has also abated obesity related issues.

In the case of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender [LGBT], social media is a way for similar people to connect with the community and to learn about theirgroups and individuals who have affinity for the third gender.In urban India, social media and corporate initiatives have created increased awareness of LGBT rights.

The study was undertaken to assess the use of social media amongst GEN Z for mediating youth problems such as mental illness, drugs and alcohol or substance abuse, obesity, etc. that youth are facing currently and to relate opinions on social media and its use for online social activism for a positive purpose and impact.Although social media is an indirect perpetrator, it is simultaneously becoming a forum for solving these issues. The study thus aimed at identifying positive influences of social media to address problems faced by Gen Z. 60% respondents invest two-four hours daily on social media. 85% respondents were of the opinion that using social media has positive effect on them with higher happiness score. 89% consider it as one of best platforms for bringing about awareness amongst youth, the problems that they face changing their outlook to problems of gender discrimination, acid victimization, drug or alcohol abuse. Gen Z is moving though gradually towards becoming intentionally active on social issues and will soon have a bandwagon effect to mediate and resolve them.

Disclaimer: The findings presented here have been obtained and derived from primary and secondary open data sources available online and from a survey involving 101 respondents in Mumbai. The results have been presented at a Research Competition AARYA held on 28^th February, 2020.