From Hashtags to Protests: Social Media, Emotion, and Misinformation in the Punjab College Harassment Narrative

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The present research explore how social media has contributed to how society perceives and feels about the so-called harassment episode in the Punjab College in Lahore that has become prominent in mid-October 2024. The paper look at the ways the online platforms can manipulate discourses to create narratives, community organization and what implications are depicted regarding these accidents.

Methodology: The study employed both qualitative and quantitative designs to collect data with four primary data sources, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and electronic newspapers. Certain keywords and links were used to scrape posts, videos, thumbnails, comments, and hashtags to collect the information. The content analysis was done thoroughly to assess the tone, sentiment and the theme of the digital content. They also applied social network analysis to visualize communications between the key words, identify influential users and discover the pattern of information diffusion.

Findings: The results clarify that social media platforms had been the most dominant in increasing support and mistrust of the incident. Emotional appeals included victim-blaming, institutional responsibility and appeals to justice. It was also found out that there were organized campaigns and the rapid spread of unverified news, which influenced the masses and led to the real life protests.

Conclusion: The study reveals the dual nature of the social media in shaping the mass discourse of sensitive issues. Even though these platforms can raise awareness and attract a following, it is also connected to challenges related to misinformation and the polarization of emotions. The paper highlights the necessity of being digitally literate, responsible journalism and sound legal frameworks that would enable negotiating the depth that comes with information flow in the digital age.