Influence of Social Media on

Global Landscape
Name: Kashish
Class: 11A
Batch: 2024-2025
School: Strawberry Fields High School
 Introduction: Role of
social media in politics
The role of social media is as follow:

Direct Engagement with Voters:

Social media allows politicians to communicate directly with their
constituents, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers (TV,
newspapers). Politicians can share speeches, policy proposals, and
personal opinions instantly with millions of people.
•Real-Time Interaction:
Unlike traditional methods, politicians can respond to public concerns,
address crises, or amplify messages in real time, shaping the political
narrative as events unfold.
•Broad Reach:
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have
billions of users worldwide, allowing political messages to reach a
broad audience, including international followers and diaspora
communities.
•Visual Communication:
Politicians use photos, memes, videos, and live streams to build their
personal brand, engage supporters, and make their message more
digestible, especially to younger demographics.
 Social Media in Election
Campaigns
Political parties have their social media channels, with employees dedicated to run them.
However, wealthy parties have “IT Cells”, which feed content into social media round the
clock. IT Cells monitor social media trends and create strategies for the dissemination of
their content The 2019 general election was dubbed the “social media election” due to the
unprecedented use of social media by politicians and political parties in an attempt to
directly reach the public, bypassing the mainstream press. The campaigns of the
incumbent BJP have followed a pattern in which supporters and politicians alike attach a
persona to their online accounts, indicating a direct and personal connection with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi. The persona was that of a Chaiwala (meaning “tea-seller”) in
the 2014 election season, a Chowkidar (#MainBhiChowkidar; meaning “I am a watchman
too”) in 2019, and “Modi ka parivar” (meaning “I am a member of Modi’s family”) in
2024. This pattern is consistent with the PM’s direct, one-way messaging with the public
on social media and radio programmes such as Mann Ki Baat
Pal et al analysed a database of 6.9 million tweets, collated from the accounts of 17,261
politicians across 127 parties in India to find patterns related to the 2019 elections. They
found that every major political party was well-invested in Twitter, which was later
renamed X. However, The BJP had the most effective use of a party central account, and
for the most part the BJP dominated electoral campaigning on the platform. Another
noteworthy finding was that the handles of political figures and parties communicated in
English and a range of Indian languages, indicating the widening of politicians’ reach
beyond the English-speaking populace and the use of social media for localised,
grassroots mobilisation
 Political movements
and social media

• Mobilizing Grassroots Movements:

Social media is a powerful tool for organizing protests, boycotts, and social
movements. Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and
#FridaysForFuture have galvanized millions of people worldwide, raising
awareness and pushing for social and political change.
• Citizen Journalism:
Social media allows anyone to share information and opinions, giving rise to
"citizen journalism." During political events, protests, or crises, ordinary
people can document events in real time, sharing stories that might otherwise
be ignored or underreported by mainstream media.
• Global Reach of Local Movements:
Social media allows local and regional movements to gain global support. The
2011 Arab Spring protests, for example, were largely organized and amplified
through social media, with activists using Twitter and Facebook to
coordinate protests and share live updates.
 Influence of social media
on public opinion
• Newspapers and news and opinion Web sites, social media, radio, television, e-mail, and blogs are significant in
affirming attitudes and opinions that are already established. The U.S. news media, having become more partisan in the
first two decades of the 21st century, have focused conservative or liberal segments of the public on certain
personalities and issues and generally reinforced their audience’s preexisting political attitudes.
• Mass media and social media can also affirm latent attitudes and “activate” them, prompting people to take action. Just
before an election, for example, voters who earlier had only a mild preference for one party or candidate may be inspired
by media coverage not only to take the trouble to vote but perhaps also to contribute money or to help a party
organization in some other way.
• Mass media and social media, to varying extents, play another important role by letting individuals know what other
people think and by giving political leaders large audiences. In this way the media make it possible for public opinion
to encompass large numbers of individuals and wide geographic areas. It appears, in fact, that in some European
countries the growth of broadcasting, especially television, affected the operation of the parliamentary system. Before
television, national elections were seen largely as contests between a number of candidates or parties for parliamentary
seats. As the electronic media grew more sophisticated technologically, elections increasingly assumed the appearance
of a personal struggle between the leaders of the principal parties concerned. In the United States, presidential
candidates have come to personify their parties. Once in office, a president can easily appeal to a national audience over
the heads of elected legislative representatives.
• In areas where the mass media are thinly spread or where access to social media is limited, as in developing countries or
in countries where print and electronic media are strictly controlled, word of mouth can sometimes perform the same
functions as the press and broadcasting, though on a more limited scale. In countries, it is common for those who are
literate to read from newspapers to those who are not or for large numbers of persons to gather around the village radio
or a community television. Word of mouth in the marketplace or neighbourhood then carries the information farther.
In countries where important news is suppressed by the government, a great deal of information is transmitted by
rumour. Word of mouth (or other forms of person-to-person communication, such as text messaging) thus becomes
the vehicle for underground public opinion in authoritarian or totalitarian countries, even though these processes are
slower and usually involve fewer people than in countries where the media network is dense and uncontrolled.
Fake news and miss information
• Fake news and misinformation on social media have a profound impact on people politically, influencing attitudes,
behaviors, and even election outcomes. Here’s how they can shape political landscapes:
• Polarization and Echo Chambers
• Social media algorithms are designed to show users content that aligns with their existing beliefs and preferences. This
can create echo chambers, where users are exposed mostly to information that reinforces their views. Fake news and
misinformation thrive in such environments because false or sensational stories are often designed to appeal to emotions,
rather than facts.
• Impact: This leads to increased polarization, where individuals become more entrenched in their political ideologies and
less willing to consider opposing viewpoints. Over time, this can erode the willingness to engage in constructive dialogue
and compromise
• Mis trust in Institutions
• Misinformation can lead people to lose trust in political institutions, such as the government, the media, or the electoral
system itself. For example, widespread false claims about election fraud can cause significant portions of the population to
question the legitimacy of elections, even when there’s no evidence to support those claims.
• Impact: This undermines democratic processes by fostering skepticism toward legitimate sources of authority and
information. In some cases, it may lead to voter apathy or disengagement, as people feel that their votes no longer matter or
that the system is inherently corrupt.
• Fake news and misinformation are often used as tools to manipulate political opinions and behavior. For example, targeted
disinformation campaigns (such as those seen in the 2016 U.S. election) aim to sway voters by spreading misleading
information, usually designed to exploit divisions and influence decision-making.
• Impact: By shaping perceptions or misrepresenting candidates and policies, disinformation can sway elections, shift
public opinion on key issues, and even ignite political movements. This manipulation can sometimes create a "herd
mentality," where people act in ways they might not have otherwise, influenced by false narratives.
• Misinformation can play a direct role in determining political outcomes, particularly in close elections. False stories about
candidates or issues can alter voters’ decisions, sometimes in ways that are hard to measure but significant nonetheless.
• Impact: Disinformation campaigns, such as the use of bot-driven misinformation or deepfakes, can spread misleading
information to millions of people, potentially influencing their voting choices. This can lead to subverted democratic
processes, where elections do not truly reflect the will of the people, but rather the result of manipulated narratives.
 Case study: US
presidential
election 2016
• Facebook was used for political campaigning in an
unprecedented way during the 2016 U.S. presidential
election. This case study scrutinizes how targeted ads,
misinformation campaigns, & algorithmic biases on
Facebook influenced public opinion and voter behavior. It
delves into the ethical implications of such practices and
their enduring impact on trust in democratic processes.
• Social media played an important role in shaping the course
of events surrounding the 2016 United States presidential
election. It facilitated greater voter interaction with
the political climate; unlike traditional media, social media
gave people the ability to create, comment on, and share
content related to the election.[1]
• Many candidates extended their campaigning efforts onto a
variety of social media platforms,
including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and Snapchat.[2] Depending on the digital architecture of
each platform, candidates would use a variety of techniques
to discredit their opponent, and gain support. In turn, users
could share, like, or comment on these actions, furthering
the candidates' outreach. By doing so, candidates and users
both would influence or change people's views on a specific
issue.
• Following the election, disclosures of widespread personal data misuse by Facebook and Cambridge
Analytica for political advertising purposes were reported by The Guardian and The New York Times. In
response, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of Congress, and Facebook was fined $5
billion by the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations. A separate investigation into the Russian
interference in the election was also conducted, and concluded with the observation that Russian
intelligence agencies had created fake accounts and spread misinformation on multiple social media sites in
order to influence the election in favor of the eventual winner Donald Trump. This in turn prompted a debate
over dissemination of fake news over the Internet, with many social media sites adopting new fact-checking
policies for the 2020 election.
 It’s impact:
• Each candidate used a combination of social media platforms and advertising techniques to
influence the portrayal of themselves within the news and general media.[59] These
techniques included posting, re-posting, creating support videos, linking to news articles,
and criticizing other candidates via fact-checking, discrediting, and response.[60] This also
helped them create a unique style of communication with the public and build electoral
coalitions, which identified voters and, in turn, raised money. As a result, social media
ultimately aided in voter mobilization and electoral impact.[61]
• Social media also became a primary source of news for some demographics. A study
conducted by the Pew Research Center discovered that 35% of voters between the ages of 18
and 29 used social media as their primary source of news, making it the most popular news
source among their generation. Social media was overall the second most popular source of
news during the election, with 14% of all voters listing it as their main source of news.[62][63]
• Additionally, peer pressure was seen as a large factor in some people's vote. Individuals
publicly voicing support for candidates were seen to put pressure on their friends and family
to hold the same opinions, and in some instances forced others to hold the same views.[64]
• The Guardian compared Internet memes to political cartoons, arguing, "For the first time in a
US election cycle, community-generated memes have grown to play a significant role in
political discourse, similar to the classic printed cartoon." While an Internet meme is unlikely
to destroy a political career, many memes targeting a candidate might.[42]
• Social media was the largest outlet for misinformation. Throughout the election, Russian
intelligence agencies made use of multiple social media accounts to disseminate false news,
primarily targeted against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In a testimony in front of
the United States Congress, Facebook estimated that the false news reached over 126 million
voters, and had a significant impact on the electoral outcome.[65] 29 million people were
reported to have seen the original posts, but comments, likes, and shares helped the
information reach an additional 97 million people.[
 Conclusion
Here are some tips for using social media responsibly and
effectively:
1. Be respectful: Treat others with kindness and respect, and
avoid harassment, cyberbullying, and spreading hate speech.
2. Protect your privacy: Only share personal information with
trusted people, and be careful about sharing sensitive data
publicly.
3. Check your privacy settings regularly, and know how each
platform's settings work.
4. Consider your audience: Research your audience to
understand what type of content they like.
5. Be mindful of what you post: Don't post anything you
wouldn't be comfortable with your family seeing.
6. Manage your feed: Be in control of your feed, and unfollow or
delete accounts that you don't want to see.
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Facebook Scrutinized Over Its Role In 2016's Presidential Election : NPR

https:/www.npr.org/2017/09/26/553661942/facebook-scrutinized-over-its-role-in-2016s-presidential-election