Vol. 18 Issue 2 (2022)
Designing the Narratives of Protests: The Role of Design in the Portrayal of Protests on Social Media Platforms in India
Saumyaa Naidu
In recent years, social media platforms have played a significant role in the political discourse in India. Political narratives around protests and movements have been widely seen on social media. The design of platform interfaces has also been questioned for the influence it can have on people’s behaviour online.
This study examines the impact that interface design of platforms has in enabling the spread of political messaging around the anti-CAA NRC and anti-farm bill protests. Focusing on four social media platforms; Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, the study critically analyses the use of interface design elements such as comments, hashtags, News Feed, and Threads, in the political discourse. It further contextualises the findings to the impact on individual rights of people, and highlights the existing policy and regulatory gaps.
Author
Saumyaa works on research that critically examines the role of design in digital techonology, specifically in areas such as privacy, accessibility, and digital identities. Her research interests include design studies and digital cultures.