What do the terms ‘moral attitude’ and ‘political attitude’ mean? What role does social media play in shaping “moral attitude” and “political attitude”?
Moral convictions about what is “Right” and “Wrong” underpin moral attitudes. They have a greater impact than moral standards.
Moral Attitude
Perseverance, faithfulness, veracity, and kindness are all traits of moral attitude. Because of the fear of social ostracization, positive moral attitudes prevent deviant acts in normal cultures. A moral attitude has a negative consequence in that it can be used to justify aggressive behaviour and insanity. It has the potential to incite riots, massacres, and terrorism.
Political attitudes
Political attitudes are a person’s feelings about politicians, political parties, and political beliefs. Political perspectives range from exceedingly liberal to extremely conservative.
On the positive side, political attitudes can lead to zero tolerance for corruption, pro-poor policies, welfare for the poor, and listening to public grievances; on the negative side, political attitudes can take the form of regionalism, communalizing the public in order to polarise them during elections.
Impact of Social Media on Moral Attitude
- Moral degeneration – Social media platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and others can corrupt young people’s moral attitudes by exposing them to filthy jokes, MMS, and pornography on a daily basis, causing cognitive dissonance.
- Moral upliftment – By offering a venue for involvement, social media can help to raise the ethical quotient. For example, teen activist Greta Thunberg, who became a phenomenon as a result of social media rallies for ecology protection and sustainability, emphasised the topic of environmental ethics.
- Social transformation – Social media has the potential to change social moral attitudes. By revitalizing the new generation of feminism, the #MeToo movement, for example, attacked the patriarchal status quo. It focused on the emotive aspect of moral behaviour.
- Massive-scale– The anonymity and enormous reach of social media influence moral attitudes more quickly. #GiveitUp, like the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, fosters the development of a positive cognitive moral attitude.
Impact of Social Media on Political Attitudes
- New avenues to share political views
- Greater participation – Immediate connection allows protests or political meetings to be planned at the last minute and extensively published via tweets or Facebook posts. For example, the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi was largely due to the influence of media and social media on people’s political attitudes.
- Customization – The Internet allows voters to look at sources and news that are relevant to them only while dismissing opposing viewpoints.
- The domino effect – Through retweeting or reposting, voters can spread information like wildfire. Voters are more inclined to support the same point of view when the news comes from a friend or trustworthy colleague.
In conclusion, a moral attitude inspires altruism, volunteerism, and social service. Political attitude determines one’s belief and action system, which is based on electoral gains. Greater ethical awareness, public participation, and social discussions can all be used to improve political and moral attitudes, bringing society closer to maturity and humanity.