Section Article

Nationalism Among Indian Youth: Social Media as a Catalyst
Author(s): Gurpreet Sandhu

Abstract
The emergence of social media has profoundly transformed the landscape of political discourse identity formation and youth engagement in India. Among the many ideological currents shaped by this transformation nationalism has seen a significant resurgence particularly among Indian youth. This paper investigates how social media platforms such as Twitter Instagram YouTube and Facebook have catalyzed the expression formation and reinforcement of nationalist sentiments among young Indians. Drawing on political sociology media studies and digital ethnography this study critically explores how memes hashtags viral videos and influencer narratives contribute to shaping national identity fostering collective memory and mobilizing political action. The paper also examines the risks of performative patriotism online radicalization and exclusionary discourses arguing for a nuanced understanding of digital nationalism in the contemporary Indian context. By assessing both the constructive and corrosive dimensions of youth-driven online nationalism the study aims to offer insights into the future of civic identity democratic engagement and ideological polarization in the digital age.