Short-Form Video as Contemporary Visual Communication: Social Awareness and Audience Engagement

Abstract

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed visual communication through the increasing use of short-form video (SFV). This study examines SFV as a contemporary form of visual communication, focusing on visual and audiovisual characteristics, storytelling, audience engagement, social-awareness communication, and its relevance to Indian youth and educational contexts. A secondary qualitative research design was employed through a structured synthesis of scholarly literature addressing SFV, visual communication, social media engagement, digital storytelling, education, and social awareness. The literature was thematically analyzed according to visual and auditory characteristics, narrative and emotional communication, audience engagement, platform affordances, social-awareness potential, educational applications, and ethical challenges. The synthesis indicates that effective SFV communication depends on the interaction of visual design, sound, narrative structure, emotional appeal, content relevance, and platform-specific affordances rather than video duration alone. The Indian context further demonstrates the importance of mobile-first, localized, vernacular, and socially relevant content among younger audiences. However, misinformation, oversimplification, algorithmic influence, and attention-driven communication remain significant challenges. The study concludes that SFV can contribute meaningfully to visual communication, education, and social awareness when creativity, accessibility, credibility, and ethical responsibility are integrated into content production and distribution.