Vol. 12, Special Issue 11 (2023)

Author(s):
Preeti Rani and Dr. Jatesh Kathpalia

Abstract:
Before COVID-19, social media adoption was already on the rise. It had become an integral part of daily life for people of all ages, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat serving as tools for communication, entertainment, and information-sharing. Businesses and organizations had also recognized the power of social media for marketing and engagement. The pre-pandemic era witnessed a gradual shift toward increased online connectivity and digital interaction, setting the stage for its pivotal role during the pandemic and beyond. This study was planned to investigate the level of adoption of social media and its association with socio-economic variables before COVID-19. Data was analyzed by applying chi-square test and it was found that level of adoption is directly associated with certain socio-economic variables like family type (13.23*), education (14.80*), land holding (16.08*) and mass media exposure (10.89*). This study also enlighten the complexity of factors influencing the adoption of social media before pre pandemic landscape of digital engagement.