Section Article

The Changing Impact of Social Media and the Social Identity of Youth in India
Author(s): Sumit Kumar

Abstract
Over the last decade social media has become one of the most transformative influences on the everyday lives of young people in India. Platforms such as Facebook Instagram Twitter (X) WhatsApp and YouTube have not only changed patterns of communication but also emerged as important sites of identity formation cultural negotiation and political expression. Indian youth are no longer passive consumers of media but active creators critics and influencers who shape digital cultures. Social media has opened pathways for empowerment creativity and civic participation while simultaneously creating new vulnerabilities in the form of digital addiction cyberbullying and superficial self-presentation.