Social Media Influence on Democracy
Abstract
Social media contributes majorly to modern governance. As a result, this research is aimed at looking into the impacts of social media on governance. The research question that guided the study was what was the influence of social media on democracy? Based on the research question, a hypothesis on the social media’s role in society was developed. The hypothesis that was founded on the effectiveness and the role of social media was applied in the evaluation of media democracy. The relationship between the media and democracies were addressed through emphasizing technological advancement, to be specific, the social media case, its effect on the global democracies. The research concluded that social media has an influence on the way of governance through monitoring and whistleblowing, therefore influences democracy.
Introduction
Social media has facilitated the people’s voice and contribution to the government. The people have an easier way of discussing issues, organizing and staging demonstrations as well as holding the leaders accountable. Social media has been an effective tool in shaping the government, shunning vices as well as effecting political liberation. Over the past years, there has been a development in power all through the media concerning legislative issues. The media’s one of a kind explanation behind existing was to light up the open concerning the relevant events that happened the world over. The action of the media is to watch out the real world and move that news to the all-inclusive community. The media can teach the all-inclusive community yet occasionally the stories given to the open are twisted for reasons unknown. Using tendency and show, the media has begun to shape our points of view in the open eye and the system by which we pick our pioneers. In the past, the governing body used the media as a medium to affect voters, sheets and the general public. This paper will concentrate on conducting in-depth research on social media influence on democracy.
Background and Significance
Over the past several decades, people obtained news and current affairs from newspapers, television and radio stations. Back then, the news which was to be fed to the people through the named channels was very accurate and genuine. It did not contain any form of propaganda or incitement. Before any news would be made public to people, it had to pass through an editor who would proof it and ensure that it would not lead to incitement. Also, the news was supposed to be accurate and obtained from reliable sources. Nowadays, people gather news from social media. Most of the updates posted on social platforms contain a lot of propaganda which may not be true. News delivery has evolved a lot over the centuries, not only regarding delivery but also truth content, therefore having a significant impact on democracy in most countries.
Literature Review
Social media has been used as a tool of foreign interference by individuals and governments. Online networking has reshaped how we devour data. Their impact is notwithstanding developing as clients of social media outlets develop to recover their report from them. Old style news media endeavoring to come to their group of spectators accordingly need to adjust to the guidelines of online life outlets, and along these lines to their calculation and parts of shareability. Simultaneously, customary clients can make what is alluded to as unintentional media builds up.
Today, most people rely on social media to update themselves on current affairs. However, there is a clear indication that social media has failed people when it comes to delivering quality and reliable news. The founders of social networks argue that the main reason the sites were invented was to enable people to socialize at a digital level. The creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg for example, argues that the platform was mainly created to ensure networking among people (Harper, 2011). He goes further to elaborate that the company is a tech company and not a media corporation. He insists that people are not meant to post news on the site. Nevertheless, several sites supply news to such platforms and other social media networks.
Posting news on social sites is not a wrong decision. However, individuals have exploited the sites and started distributing news that may not be accurate. Social media has evolved into a platform of gossip (Harvel, 2012). People take advantage and post any news to the sites mainly because their posts are not edited and reviewed. As long as there are no means to regulate the content that is posted, people will post anything they desire to post. As such, people who rely on social sites for their news are highly misled.
Facebook, for instance, has a way of selecting what to display on the news feed. Their criteria are based on what someone mostly reads, the age of the person and gender. They have a way of arranging a person’s news feed according to their preference. Nevertheless, you find that some of the posts on the news feed, contain a lot of propaganda or may contain hate speech. The site has its way of editing posts which has proved not to be effective. Facebook still allows news that may contain incitement or hate speech to be accessed by their users (Vasterman, 2018).
Methodology
In accessing the Social Media Influence on Democracy, numerous techniques were utilized. Some of the methods included an evaluation of the role of media in politics by a careful analysis of the past media democracy records. Different nations where social media and democracy were reviewed with a balance of the successful ones and the ones that failed. In the assessment of the social media’s involvement in democracy, the effectiveness of the media was analyzed concerning the governance of most countries in the world. The research involved distinguishing between the information and communications, and the democratization connections. The relationships were addressed by emphasizing technological advancement, to be specific, the social media case, its effect on the global democracies. The connections between social media and democratization were targeted through the definition of the democratization process. The methodology also involved the definition of various situations in different nations that have either prompted the declination of political realms or helped the ascent of an ideological group, through the contribution of internet-based life.
Results
In the cutting edge Information Age that we have entered, there is a push to upgrade intellectual prowess by universally giving information administrations and by implementation the intensity of calculation as and when required. Mechanical developments have brought forth data and correspondence mediums like TV, radio, phone and so on however the dominant and up and coming media instrument, a commitment to the internet’s community planning. It is significantly unique about the traditional ways; this enables greater intuitiveness and many-to-numerous communication. As web-based social networking is the new wonder assuming control across the globe it is bringing forth new languages like ‘Twittersphere’ as well as ‘infosphere’. Members discover this stage as a perfect spot to begin talks essentially on open discussion and social change (Vasterman, 2018). Loader& Mercea (2011) on the other hand underscores the upcoming online social events, which empowers people to participate in exchanges to exchange perspectives and adapting either political or moderate even essential delineates an example of closeness to the possibility of the ‘open circle’. The battle that exchanges such as Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace are open spots that are outside state control where open disapproved of discerning accord can be created.
As we experience the ascent of the correspondence stage, there is by all accounts an enormous augmentation in the members to take part in open addresses which are depicted through ‘blogosphere’ and all the more strikingly various occasions have added to the open making aggregate move by utilizing these development innovation mediums. In 2001, when the congress cast a ballot to ensure the President of Philippines ‘President Joseph Estrada’s and secluded pivotal proof against him, the natives of the Philippines in indignation challenged their degenerate president. Similarly, as the choice was reported, they organized a rally ‘Go to EDSA sport dark to grieve the passing of vote based system” through straightforward sent instant messages which later tallied near 7,000,000. In no time a great many individuals arrived, causing a shutdown of traffic in Manali (Haenens, Joris & Heinderyckx, 2019). This capacity of people in general to organize such a gigantic reaction undermined the administrators of the nation and they enabled the proof to be exhibited. In 3 days on this dissent, Estrada was gone. This was the first run through online networking that had supported to influence an equitable country to prompt a defeat of a national chief. Estrada himself accused “the content informing age” for his ruin.
The main role that has been facilitated by social media is that of shunning, exposing and informing of the evils in the government. Besides in numerous different cases open has taken the guide from these online networking devices to prevail in their challenges. Another internet-based life wonder that is picking up prominence generally in whistleblowing is through ‘viral media’ (Rishel, 2011).
Discussion
Social sites should, therefore, device a way of regulating stories that are likely to bring discomfort or unrest among any group of people. Due to several complaints raised daily, Facebook has tried to come up with a means that will help eradicate harmful news (Harvel, 2012). This site, in particular, has an option whereby the users can report any post which may appear inappropriate to its users. Any post that is reported by a good number of users is brought down. However, the method has proved to be ineffective. People will still access the news and read it before its true value is determined. An individual who is willing to spread false information among people can therefore still be able to do so.
Social sites should devise a way to edit posts before they can appear publicly. Although this sounds like a better idea, it may be quite tasking due to the huge number of users (Harper, 2011). Managing the posts written by such huge numbers of people on Facebook and Twiter may be quite challenging, but with time, it may be achieved
Conclusion
The results, therefore, indicate that social media plays an influential role in democracy. The social media affects the way of governance since it allows people to express their will. Social media can be an effective tool for either building and encouraging good governance or bringing down any government.
Reference
Dougherty, S. (2013). The Dangerous Rays of the Future: Democracy, Media, Science Fiction. Science Fiction Studies, 40(3), 510-528.
Haenens, L., Joris, W., & Heinderyckx, F. (Eds.). (2019). Images of Immigrants and Refugees in Western Europe: Media Representations, Public Opinion and Refugees’ Experiences (p. 7). Leuven University Press.
Harper, T. (2011). Democracy in the age of new media: The politics of the spectacle. New York: Peter Lang.
Harvell, B. (2012). Facebook. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Loader, B. D., & Mercea, D. (2011). Networking democracy? Social media innovations and participatory politics. Information, Communication & Society, 14(6), 757-769.
Rishel, N. M. (2011). Digitizing deliberation: Normative concerns for the use of social media in deliberative democracy. Administrative Theory & Praxis, 33(3), 411-432.
Vasterman, P. (2018). From Media Hype to Twitter Storm. Amsterdam University Press.
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