Why Do We Judge People Over Their Religion And Caste?

Rishit raj | Mar 08, 2025, 13:41 IST

In today’s interconnected world, people often judge each other based on religion and caste, sometimes without even realizing it. These biases are reinforced by the media and social media, where memes, posts, and narratives shape public perception—either positively or negatively. This article delves into the roots of societal judgment based on religion and caste, examining how traditional and digital media contribute to stereotypes, misinformation, and division. It also explores ways to counteract these biases and promote a more inclusive, unbiased society.

Assessing individuals based on religious or caste identities forms an ancient social problem that maintains its influence on community foundations as well as personal relationships. Human beings develop perceptions of others through these traits regardless of their awareness. The function of media particularly social media has expanded historical prejudices to previously unexpected heights. The digital world functions as an effective instrument to either unite people or to further separate them.

The Origins of Religious and Caste-Based Thinking

The categorization of people based on religion and caste can be traced back to the earliest human civilizations. In ancient societies, people formed groups based on shared beliefs, traditions, and roles within a community. Over time, these classifications became rigid social structures, often reinforced by religious texts, economic systems, and political agendas.

Survival and Identity: Early humans relied on group cohesion for survival. Religion and caste helped create a sense of belonging, defining roles and responsibilities within communities.
Power and Control: As civilizations grew, ruling classes used religious and caste-based divisions to maintain hierarchy and control. These divisions ensured that power remained concentrated within specific groups.
Cultural Reinforcement: Over centuries, traditions, rituals, and laws reinforced these classifications, making them deeply ingrained in societies worldwide.
Colonial and Political Influence: Many colonial rulers exploited religious and caste divisions to maintain control, deepening societal rifts that persist to this day.

Understanding these origins helps us recognize that biases are not innate but rather socially constructed, and therefore, they can be deconstructed through awareness and change.

The Historical and Social Roots of Religious and Caste-Based Judgment

Societies throughout hundreds of years have developed through the influence of religion and caste. Such social divisions regulated everything including interpersonal relations alongside career achievable targets and suitable marriage partners in numerous societies. Such historical social divisions later manifested into modern prejudices.

Education along with globalization has decreased several historical prejudices yet some discriminatory beliefs from the past tend to influence ongoing perspectives.

How Traditional Media Shapes Public Perception

Traditional media, including newspapers, television, and films, has played a significant role in shaping how people perceive different religious and caste groups. Certain communities are often portrayed in a stereotypical or biased manner, reinforcing negative assumptions.

News outlets, depending on their political or ideological leanings, may selectively highlight events in a way that strengthens stereotypes.
Films and TV shows often depict certain groups in extreme lights—either as victims or villains—shaping long-lasting perceptions among audiences.
Public figures and politicians frequently use religious or caste-based narratives to manipulate societal sentiments, influencing the masses.

The Role of Social Media: Memes, Posts, and Digital Narratives

Social media is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides a platform for awareness, inclusivity, and social change. On the other, it enables the rapid spread of misinformation, hate speech, and divisive narratives.

How Social Media Influences Perception:

Memes and Satirical Content:
- While some memes are harmless fun, others subtly reinforce biases, mocking or misrepresenting certain religious or caste groups.
- People often share these without fact-checking, perpetuating false narratives.
Viral Misinformation:
- Fake news spreads quickly, with distorted religious or caste-related stories triggering conflicts.
- Manipulated videos and photos can create outrage, even when they lack context.
Echo Chambers:
- Social media algorithms show users content that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, reinforcing biases.
- People become trapped in digital bubbles, where differing perspectives are drowned out by extreme or one-sided views.
Influencers and Digital Activism:
- While some influencers use their platform to challenge stereotypes, others fuel religious and caste-based divisions for engagement and popularity.
- Hashtag activism can spread awareness, but it can also be hijacked by groups with divisive agendas.

The Consequences of These Biases

Both religious discrimination and biases against social caste create tangible effects which result in professional workplace bias alongside hate-based violence and social exclusion. Judging others using such bias labels results in community fragmentation as well as social inequality and the escalation of social conflicts.

Social media misinformation has led to numerous violent incidents worldwide because digital storytelling creates actual death and destruction. Social hostility keeps circling through society until people actively break it up with educational awareness.

Counteracting the Influence: Steps Toward a More Inclusive Society

While biases cannot be eliminated overnight, there are steps we can take to reduce their impact:

Critical Thinking & Media Literacy: Verify news before believing or sharing it. Encourage fact-checking and rely on credible sources.
Diverse Exposure: Follow people and pages that offer varied perspectives to break out of echo chambers.
Promoting Positive Narratives: Engage with and support content that fosters inclusivity rather than division.
Holding Media Accountable: Question biased narratives in news and entertainment. Support unbiased journalism and content creators.
Encouraging Meaningful Conversations: Instead of reacting with hostility, engage in discussions that challenge prejudices in a constructive way.

At Last

The judgment of people based on religion and caste exists as a societal problem that media and social media platforms have significantly increased. Online platforms move beyond negativity by building connections among people who face social prejudice. Awareness of story framework creation together with active efforts to disrupt misinformative patterns will guide society toward both tolerance and inclusiveness. People now possess the ability to decide whether they want to merely absorb bias or they wish to actively fight against the patterns of discrimination.