Social Media-Enabled Sustainable Communities: A Case of Indian Elected Women Representatives (EWRs)

Abstract

The impact of social media on communities is an ongoing topic of research. This quantitative study specifically investigates how elected women representatives (EWRs) are using social media for participatory development communication. The study employs a questionnaire to collect data from 200 EWRs and utilizes various statistical tests, including descriptive statistics, convergent validity and composite reliability analysis, structural equation modeling, and correlation analysis. The results suggest that social media can positively influence social participation, with the sense of platform and social equity having a significant impact. However, safety and security, as well as social interaction, do not show a positive impact on social participation. Additionally, social participation positively impacts social satisfaction. These findings have important implications for organizations interested in promoting participatory development communication among EWRs using social media platforms.