“The fact that the message always says forwarded many times — literally, where did this come from?” she asks. “Where did this start? I think that’s especially frustrating, because I don’t know where this is coming from or who is sharing it with my parents.”
Apps such as WhatsApp have shrunk the distance between South Asia and the United States so that relatives living abroad are just a DM or text away. While various COVID-19 lockdowns have kept many families apart physically, messaging apps have helped bridge those divides.
“It feels like more official business happens [via] text message, but WhatsApp is for everything else,” says Heer. “It feels like a more approachable and accessible way to keep in touch with people.”
Yet WhatsApp and social media have also helped “normalize” Islamophobia both in India and the U.S., Hana says. “Small, little jokes about it — it makes it normalized, and makes it okay for this stuff to go around.”
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Source: Misinformation on Social Media in India Is Causing Tension Among Families | Teen Vogue