The document discusses the evolution and impact of social media in India, highlighting its role in democratizing communication and enabling ordinary individuals to share their stories and experiences. It contrasts traditional media with social media, noting the rapid growth of blogging and social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which have transformed information dissemination. The author emphasizes the need for inclusivity and representation in digital content, urging individuals and organizations to leverage social media for broader engagement.

1. ‘Creating High Impact and Digital Initiative in India’8th to 10th Dec 2010Bangalore, IndiaA Digital Hall of Mirrors: Using social media to expand awareness and loyaltyBySanjuktaBasuSocial Communication and Media EnthusiastFounder, Samyukta Media.sanjukta.basu23@gmail.comhttp://sanjukta.wordpress.comhttp://samyuktamedia.comPlease excuse bad spellings and grammatical errors, am sure there will be many

2. For a moment, close your eyes and imagine ‘communications’What is that one thing…that you reallywant to say to the world…what are your chances?

3. Traditional medium of communication

4. My life, my voice, my blog My VideosMy PicturesMy writingsMy AudiosBLOG OR SOCIAL MEDIA?

5. So What is Social Media?Web languageWebsiteweb hosting, TechnologyDomain nameFlash / HTMLSOCIAL Anything friendly, belonging to a group formed on common thoughts and principles: Anything that has a sense of togetherness and inclusionAn agency that helps us to carry our voices, news, stories, products, businesses, ideas, feelings opinions etc from one group to anotherMEDIA

6. Traditional Media: Radio, TV, Newspaper - Not socialTraditional media mostly create information for mass consumption

7. It is not our friend, it is a powerful entity that sits at a position higher than the consumers

8. There is a ladder that is needed to be climbed to be able to get to that position from where an ordinary person can create and disseminate information.

9. That ladder is climbed by becoming a journalist, author etc.

10. Publications therefore have always been a journalist's privilege. Bloggers have taken that away

11. With www.paper.li you can even have your own digital newspaper (almost)

12. The strange story of Lali, the lonely dogI was visiting my aunt's place in kolkata and came across this story. When this pup was born, a little boy had dropped it inside a walled compound. The pup grew up within that compound being fed by neighbors. It still lives there, never jumps over the wall. I found the story quite interesting and wanted to share it. Used cell phone to take a video

13. Edited video with Microsoft movie creator

14. Uploaded video on Youtube

15. Wrote a short story around video and published that on my blog

16. Linked the video now on youtube to the blog.If you go to Google and search for 'strange story of lali' you will find, in the first 3 search results, link to my blog post, the Youtube video, one fanRaghava, who tweeted about the story to his 500+ followers.

17. In no time a story so ordinary and perhaps so irrelevant managed to occupy digital space, and it is going to stay there for some good amount of time to come. Not all ordinary stories are irrelevant: There are stories in every nook and corner…So many lives, so many voices…poor and ordinary…but they talk about…Struggle, success & failureCaution and inspirationWhere are these stories? Who will tell them? And why? Who wants to hear them? Who decides what gets heard?So what if they are not told?

18. Social media and Indian ContextRapid increase in the number of bloggers mostly in the metro cities from the early 2003 onwards

19. Most people initially used blogs as personal journal but currently there are many political or lifestyle blogs most of them being collaborative blogs.

20. Blog aggregators and collaborative blogs following American examples: Insta Pundit – Desi Pundit, Blog Critics – Desi Critics.

21. Tsunami help blogs and Mumbai help blogs: Two great initiatives but hardly any replication

22. Bloggers meet in the physical world became a common trend in the metros, at times cities competing with each other.

23. Celebrity bloggers, Blog Martyrs, Regional language bloggers and Published Bloggers – You have arrived if you could be one of these

24. Bloggers’ persistent war with and recognition from the mainstream media: Delhi Bloggers and BBC World RadioSocial Media and India (cont)Money making blogs: The most favourite topic in any given blogger’s meet or un-conference: AmitAgarwal’s Digital Inspiration

25. Intellectual property, copyright violations and plagiarism: second most favourite topics

26. More off line meets, Un-conferences and general socializing around common subjects, mostly technology and related entrepreneurship: Changed culture

27. Youtube entered India around the same time blogs did, it was and is still largely used to share film songs, TV series etc.

28. Flickr entered a bit later and with it we saw a sudden increase in amateur photographers.

29. Several young and amateur film makers, entrepreneurs, consultants including myself owe their self discovery to social media tools.

30. Facebookand Twitter currently the two key player in social media entered India about 3-4 years back and became much more popular than blogging in less time.

31. Growth of twitter perhaps fastest - the whole nation took to Twitter during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai6% of Indian population is on internet6% of 2 Billion makes us 4th largest country in the world in terms of internet usersNumber of 'effective' social media users amongst this 6% is low.

32. Who are NOT blogging?My Dad

33. Even after 10 years, blogging has remained a niche online activity in terms of number of users, subjects blogged about, regions to which the users belongWhy?Different groups have different perception of Social Media is:NGO staff think its too technical, mostly intimidated with it - “I can barely use email” is commonly heard.Academics are dismissive about it – They love books, are slightly angry that ordinary people messed with their privilege of being publishers and writers. Are upset with low quality of most of the blogs written by ‘lay man’; Worried about their copyright infringement.Girls and women are biased against technology, it’s a gender construct they are trapped with.Senior citizens cannot see the fonts: Internet is not old age friendly and also not friendly to differently able people.Artist don’t get how can social media help their art. They too are worried about copyrights.And what does it mean?

34. Digital content created by men’s rights group ‘Save Indian Family’ occupies the first spot on search results when searched for “domestic violence case studies India.” The link will take you to a page that will claim, domestic violence is a non issue, real victims of DV are the men, section 498A of IPC should be banned.

35. Close your eyes and think of a farmer Think of Indian Farmer and Canadian Farmer