Social media: A tool for collective action in food for Chennai, India – A case study

Abstract

Ubiquitous emergent technologies including social media (SM) dramatically impact human lives: the way we live, learn, communicate and do our business. Despite its darker side, people make use of social media’s transformative potential to advance socio-economic-political narratives and for catalysing public engagement for social causes. This case study illustrates how a group of women social entrepreneurs in Food For Chennai (FFC), India, innovatively used social media, mobilized more than 250 volunteers, and saved more than 40,000 COVID-19 patients in a month through efficient and virtual operation. Data were collected via telephonic interviews using semi-structured questionnaires with founders and 20 other volunteers. While the findings can demonstrate that social media can serve as a catalyst for social change, especially in times of crisis, they may not be generalizable. Future researchers could employ a comparative, quantitative approach for broader validation.