New Delhi: A recent study has revealed that social media influencers are more likely to promote the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) than the Opposition, as it is more valuable for their online engagement and popularity.
The study by Shaily Desai and Joyojeet Pal from the University of Michigan, which analysed data from various sources, found that influencers who posted content popular among Opposition circles gradually reduced their messaging over time. This phenomenon is described as the “Spiral of Silence,” where individuals with differing viewpoints refrain from expressing their opinions publicly due to “a combination of a fear of backlash or social media isolation on one hand, and a more successful and organised social media approach of the ruling party on another”.
The research noted that mainstream celebrities and public figures, who initially spoke out against the BJP, have largely stopped commenting on political issues online. Instead, digital influencers have become the primary voices discussing politics, with many pro-BJP influencers receiving more engagement and support from the party’s politicians.
It also suggested that the BJP’s online strategy is more effective in streamlining networks and promoting issue-specific content, while the Opposition’s online presence is more focused on individual leaders.
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The research found that pro-BJP influencers receive more engagement than those supporting the Opposition, criticisms of politicians, particularly Rahul Gandhi, go more viral than praise for Narendra Modi and the BJP’s IT ecosystem is more organised and reciprocative, providing a direct benefit to influencers who support the party.
Moreover, pro-government influencers exhibit higher tweeting activity and gain more political attention than their pro-Opposition counterparts, according to the findings of the study. This suggests that the Spiral of Silence phenomenon is more pronounced among Opposition supporters, who are less likely to express their opinions online due to fear of backlash or exclusion.
Tweeting activity by ruling and opposition-leaning influencers over time. Note that we have data collected for only three months for 2023, and thus the plots exhibit relatively lesser tweeting activity compared to other years. Photo: joyojeet.people.si.umich.edu/silence.pdf
The study attributed the BJP’s success on social media to its well-organised IT cell, strong community of dedicated followers, and effective engagement with social media influencers who share similar ideologies. In contrast, anti-BJP influencers face less engagement from politicians and lack a direct benefit from interacting with the Opposition ecosystem.
Additionally, the researchers highlighted the BJP’s dominance on social media, with: Narendra Modi having over 101 million followers on X and 91.3 million on Instagram; BJP’s official X handle having 22.2 million followers, compared to INC’s 10.9 million and BJP’s YouTube channel boasting 6.11 million subscribers, while INC has 5.56 million.
