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Signs that relations between India and Pakistan were worsening in May in South Asia appeared on Twitter before anything else. Recent history shows that the events of the India-Pakistan conflict in 2025 demonstrate how today’s wars can be fought outside the geographical borders of the countries involved. The news comes through computers, phone apps, and emotional news topics. There was less fighting and more mental control by one side over the other.
This war looked very different—aimed at shaping opinions, fueling anger, and boosting patriotism on both Indian and Pakistani sides. Politicians kept their statements vague, while Indian media, in particular, spoke with certainty, framing the conflict as a battle between good and evil.
Initially, Indian TV channels like Republic TV, Times Now, and Zee News quickly began using strong words and painting emotional pictures to talk about the escalation in May 2025 with Pakistan. Many news stories used computer-generated effects of airstrikes, images of Pakistani flags on fire, and event headlines that sounded like calls to battle. A study by Alt News India (May 2025) reveals that more than two-thirds of what was shown on Indian TV in those 72 hours had nationalistic bias and psychological tactics, with many showing exaggerated stories of Indian success and treating Pakistanis like enemies.
Meanwhile, digital platforms widely used in Pakistan—such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube Shorts—saw a surge in provocative content blending religion, past trauma, and nationalism. Nationalistic songs such as "Dil Dil Pakistan" remixed with drone sounds became very popular, as did images mocking the Indian military by comparing it to fascist powers. Both countries’ influencers and solitary vloggers used emotional contagion and agenda-setting to influence the mood of the public.
They each used AI-created material, such as false news stories, videos and pictures of military action that looked real, causing many people to feel suspicious. The Pakistan Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) reported in May 2025 that 45% of the conflict-related posts on social media in the first week were found to be unverified, further adding to the hysteria and harsh reactions online.
As a result, propaganda using algorithms began to come across as psychological attacks. This also revealed that people aged between 18 and 35 became consumers and spreaders of narratives pushed by the government online. A new survey found that 58% of South Asian youth felt overwhelmed mentally or distressed as they spent a lot of time consuming content generated by the media during the conflict. Beyond fighting over land and missiles, these nations waged a battle for public opinion and emotions through digital channels.
In the days following the initial skirmishes, Indian television channels acted like units focused on influencing thoughts or beliefs. News anchors acted as if they were in a war situation, with war briefing information, up-to-date news, celebratory music, and timers. The images and text used weren’t typical journalism—they were crafted like theater, serving the purposes of war or peace. Phrases such as “decisive,” “crushing,” and “historic retaliation” were used as part of the campaign against the opposing country.
Major Indian media channels aired footage from a drone they declared had shown them destroying an “undisclosed Pakistani location” on May 10. Officials in Pakistan claimed the video was fake as soon as it was released, but this didn’t stop numerous people from sharing, discussing, and broadcasting it online. The message was clear: India strikes first, speaks last.
This framing was not incidental. For the past 10 years, the Indian media has increasingly blended entertainment into news stories, which is known as infotainment. However, during a crisis, this mixed approach intensifies, becoming a tool that can be used to demonstrate power or create anxiety within a nation. Using animation, music, and powerful words, the shows resembled movies and TV, fueling excitement and heightened patriotism among the public.
TV sent out the message for war, but social media was where we fought it. TikTok videos of missile launches, mocking videos of enemy leaders, and videos of AI singing the national anthem soon became popular on social media. Many humor-filled influential accounts in both India and Pakistan used offensive material aimed at igniting the passions of young people.
This wasn’t spontaneous; it was strategic. The focus of psychological warfare in 2025 is on dominating the stories we are exposed to, not just spreading lies or propaganda. Regardless of whether the information is accurate, the main goal is to exhaust the opponent and make citizens in the other country feel secure. Indian internet users celebrated online by posting about the victory, while those from Pakistan responded with content showing resistance, determination, and the trouble civilians face.
ISPR, Pakistan’s military PR hub, launched several videos promoting unity and strength among Pakistanis. As a result, Indian narratives were able to travel more quickly and reach bigger international audiences, mainly because of the gaps in digital and media networks in India. In Istanbul and other places in Türkiye, the South Asian diaspora keeps track of what’s happening in the subcontinent, so narratives from Indian media tend to lead the conversation among English speakers.
The outcomes of the conflict still affect people’s thoughts and feelings after the cease-fire. People close to the border say they are feeling more anxious now. Many in key Pakistani districts were frustrated by corruption and overwhelmed by digital fatigue. Meanwhile, in India’s metropolitan areas, national pride was evident—but so was growing skepticism toward the media’s credibility.
As a result of this, people experience more emotional division, psychological trauma, and strengthened nationalism, which lasts. It affects the way people view politics in the long run, vote in elections, and interact with other countries. It seems that using psychology in warfare is now common in South Asia, with mindsets important as action plans, and where battles online are now worth more than the use of weapons.
As Türkiye looks east and strengthens ties across Eurasia, understanding these shifts in narrative warfare is crucial—not only for foreign policy strategists but also for media watchdogs, educators, and tech platforms that enable or amplify these stories.
The May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict showed that modern warfare is as much about controlling what people feel as what happens. The true battleground may no longer be the border, it’s the brain.
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