Abstract
Social change is an inevitable phenomenon, and its intensity has grown and become more pronounced worldwide. The influence of social media on human behavior stands out among the numerous factors contributing to this change. Social media has evolved into a powerful social force that shapes the desires of young people and transforms moral perceptions, resulting in unprecedented social changes that manifest in social, political, economic, and cultural structures globally. Globalization undermines the ability of existing social institutions to provide stability in society. Simultaneously, the expansion of access to social media fuels the growth of mimetic desires or intellectual appetites for perceived valuable things in a changing world. The greater the exposure of young people to social media, the more pronounced the shifts in moral perceptions that have evolved into an online realm. The development of artificial superintelligence continues to underpin this entire process of societal change worldwide. Overall, the prevalence of cultural globalization, including increased access to social media and exposure to global experiences, has prompted the younger generation (Generation Z and Generation Alpha), particularly in the South Asian countries to question the authority of traditional social institutions. This questioning has, in turn, given rise to a globally responsive moral system that aligns with principles of justice, equality, and freedom.
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Udayanga, S. (2023). The Interplay Between Social Media, Moral Perceptions, and the Proliferation of Mimetic Desires Among Youth in South Asia. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Change. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87624-1_403-1
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