SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF BIDI ROLLERS: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF DISTRICT MURSHIDABAD, WEST-BENGAL

Abstract

The use of social media has become widespread across all segments of society, and bidi workers are no longer isolated from this trend. Existing studies suggest that social media usage can have a significant impact on workers’ productivity. Based on this premise, a quantitative study was conducted among bidi rollers in Suti-I Block of rural Murshidabad, a region well known for its extensive engagement in the bidi industry. Over the past decade, the growing popularity of social media has led many bidi rollers particularly younger and adolescent workers to engage with social media platforms while working. This shift in behaviour and interaction patterns has elicited strong reactions from older workers. In this context, an empirical inquiry was undertaken to assess the actual impact of social media use on the productivity of bidi rollers. The study employed an interview schedule as the primary tool for data collection. Findings reveal a mixed response: while the 57.7 of respondents reported that social media use hampers their productivity ‘sometimes’, a smaller proportion 5.3 percent accepted that social media use cause missing their targets while bidi rolling. A small number of respondents (2.7 per cent) indicated that it enhances productivity by alleviating work-related stress and making the work process more engaging.