The role of social media in modern politics and activism is
becoming an increasingly important issue. It has been used to help organize
large scale protests, to create public awareness about political issues, and to
facilitate community engagement. Despite its many benefits, however, there are
also risks involved in using this technology. Moreover, social media can be
exploited by both governing and opposition regimes.
Social media has been used by governing regimes to unify
people, to promote virtue signaling, and to suppress opposition. But it can
also be exploited by malign external forces to spread fake news and distorted
information. For example, a recent study found that 97% of political tweets are
coming from just 10% of Twitter users. This can contribute to an extremely
polarized political discourse.
While social media has been used to facilitate the creation
of new forms of youth participation, it can also be misused by governing and opposition
populists. For instance, during the Arab Spring, young protesters documented
political issues and violence, and were able to spark armed rebellions
throughout the Middle East. On the other hand, Facebook filter bubbles may lead
to an illusion of support for causes, which can then contribute to the failure
of democratic norms.
In the absence of strong democratic institutions, social
media is a powerful tool for governing regimes to destabilize their societies.
However, it can also be used to amplify the voices of minorities, increase
support for issues, and build relationships. Furthermore, it can also help
populists unify and unite people, while creating a sense of toxicity.
A recent study by the New York University Stern School of
Business and the NYU Center for Business and Human Rights has investigated the
role of social media in the U.S. presidential election in 2016. It has
identified four possible effects of social media on a state: radicalizing,
intensifying, weakening, and destabilizing.
Using case studies, this article analyzes how social media
is used to affect different types of state regimes. It also explores the ways
in which social media can be used to facilitate the recruitment of social
movements.
In addition, the study identifies ways in which social media
can be used to foster female participation in politics. As a result, it
highlights best practices and opportunities for improving the use of new media.
The article also notes that social media platforms are not
ideal for bringing the world closer together. They cannot create a single
global social movement, but can facilitate the coordination of dissidents and
strengthen citizen engagement in political life.
