IRJMST Vol 8 Issue 10 [Year 2017] ISSN 2250 – 1959 (0nline) 2348 – 9367 (Print) International Research Journal of Management Science & Technology http://www.irjmst.com Page 32 CYBERNETIC SOCIAL MOVEMENTS GAINING MOMENTUM THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES Wapha Riyalu, Research Scholar, Dr. R. Rajesh, Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Bangalore University, Bangalore. ABSTRACT Since the turn of the century, with advances in technology, many studies have emerged globally on social networking sites (SNS) and the roles they play in giving birth to social movements. In the Indian scenario, till recently, in spite of the burgeoning number of SNS users, a cybernetic social movement owing to the contents on SNS was unheard of. This study aims at investigating if SNSs lend a credible momentum to cybernetic social movements in India. For this purpose a comparative analysis of momentum of social movements in an era devoid of SNS was done with similar incidents/movements in the current technology driven era. The study also focused on quality of interaction on social issues as it did on the role and contribution of social groups in SNSs. Using the theory of six-degrees of separation, every new friend disseminates a social message to a new set of people who are listed as their respective friends, hence creating a domino effect and contributing to the momentum in spreading a message. Approximately thirty respondents from Bangalore city were approached using multi-stage sampling method. Social movements have gained unprecedented momentum due to their existence on SNSs. Cybernetic social movements gain tremendously by way of escalating not only the processes of change, but also in giving direction to social transformation. INTRODUCTION Owing to technological advancements, today life around us seems unreal sans the virtual world. SNS has become a reflection of the society around us. It has reached a stage and stature where it has formed a 'society' within a society. Innovations in technology have made deep imprints in the course of history. In the current era, SNSs have not just changed the way we shop, entertain and access information, it has even the power to change the way we think and react on day-to-day issues around us. Today, virtual world (Turner and Karanguh, 2003) is being transformed as the public space where many interactions from classroom activities to international political protests take place. Internet and SNS is to the new generation what television and telephone was to the previous. Social movements are movements that are loosely organized but sustained to attain a social goal, typically either the implementation or the prevention of a change in society’s structure or values. Movements lead to mobilization through recurring waves and show resilience by continuing from earlier waves. Even in the downturn, they lay foundation for later success. From the beginning of the 20th century to now, India has witnessed social movements ranging from the freedom struggle to reformative to revolutionary movements. The context of social movements varies from country to