Introduction
Social media have diverse effects on politics, including their influence on voting, the spread of fake news, the promotion of rebellion toward government and politicians, and the proliferation of negative attitudes such as xenophobia, racism, and political polarization. In contemporary society, it is hard to talk about politics without including the internet, especially social media in the discourse. The exposure of citizens to social media content plays a key role in determining their political perceptions and preferences. Various platforms are used to persuade the electorate by presenting to them party agendas and manifestos. However, in recent times, social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have been used negatively to disseminate propaganda, ruin political discourse, and tarnish the images of politicians and parties, thus depicting social media as having an adverse influence on politics. Over the past twenty years, the media has gained more power with regard to its influence on politics.
The Influence of Social Media on Politics
In the past decades, social media provided important platforms in politics that were mainly used to educate and disseminate information. However, this trend has shifted in recent years as they are now used to spread fake news, tarnish the names of politicians and parties, and spread propaganda. According to Bolter (2019), social media platforms are now being used to misinform and propagate hate speech aimed at certain ethnic and religious groups. The world should be concerned because social media are ruining political discourse because most contents shared on various platforms is aimed at political indoctrination (Kleinnijenhuis et al., 2019). For instance, certain content on YouTube contains conspiracy theories that delude the public by creating the illusion that a certain cabal wants to take over the world. The concept of “flow” has rendered social media inappropriate for politics because the various platforms threaten coherent political discourse that was characteristic of the print era. On Twitter, users usually engage in partisan politics, thus promoting in-group and out-group affiliations (Kleinnijenhuis et al., 2019). Political polarization has been the outcome of such one-sided engagements.
This trend has affected many people and groups, including politicians, ethnic groups, religious minorities, and Americans in general. A 2018 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that 68% of Americans relied on social media for information on certain political matters (Bolter, 2019). Online platforms are used by politicians and extremist groups to advance their agendas. An example of the negative effect of flow is the propagation of online conspiracy thinking (Bolter, 2019). A group known as QAnon uses Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to spread conspiracy theories regarding international leaders, including Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton, and the Queen of England. Social media promote conspiracism, involving contradictory and incoherent assertions that are primarily political in nature (Bolter, 2019). For example, Donald Trump used Twitter to attack other counties and leaders, including President Obama, Hillary Clinton, China, and Russia. However, his tweets did not form a coherent narrative that could initiate an intelligent political discourse. They were simply personal attacks that did not have any political significance on the public agenda. Social media also contribute to political misperceptions during elections (Garrett, 2019). For instance, their use had a significant misperception about President Obama during the 2012 campaigns, mainly among strong partisans. Usage has increased immensely, with their advantages and disadvantages revealing their increased influence on politics.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media on Politics
Social media have several advantages reading its increasing role in politics. They give people platforms where they can access key political information such as upcoming events, party schedules, and the party’s election agenda (Increasing role of Social Media in Politics, n.d.). Moreover, people can interact directly with politicians and party representatives, and share their ideas about civic and political issues (Wihbey, 2019). Platforms such as Facebook are widely used by politicians to present their policies to the people and discuss any issue that is of public interest. According to Wihbey (2013), Facebook increased the turnout during the 2012 elections by more than 340,000 voters. Political parties also use it to reach the people and learn about their problems (Kleinnijenhuis et al., 2019). Generally, social media allow people to participate actively in the election process by taking part in open dialogues that are conducted online (Increasing role of Social Media in Politics, n.d.). Disadvantages of social media are linked to their use to promote political polarization, spread criticisms and misinformation about opposition parties, and create a political gridlock (Increasing role of Social Media in Politics, n.d.). Moreover, its use in politics is expensive. For instance, Obama used $50 million on online platforms alone during the presidential campaigns. Several measures can be put in place to mitigate the effects of the negative uses of social media in politics.
Solutions
It is important for social media companies to regulate the usage of their platforms for political discourses. They should consider banning users who use their accounts to promote ethnic or racial hatred, spread propaganda, and cause incitement (Harvey, 2014). For example, this is evident from the banning of President Trump from Twitter and Facebook for inciting his followers. They should also increase monitoring of these platforms in order to ensure that they are used positively. This could involve monitoring the messages and videos shared by users, fact-checking content, and banning individuals who harass and troll others (Harvey, 2014). The most effective measure would be to create more stringent policies that guide political discourses and punish individuals who violate them. Banning Donald Trump was effective because he did not have a platform to share his inciting sentiments with his followers. Denying individuals who misuse social media an opportunity to interact with the people could aid in streamlining the technology in ways that eradicate its negative effects on politics. Monitoring content could fail to work because there are millions of users who share self-generated content on social media every minute (Harvey, 2014). Therefore, eliminating politically divisive messages and videos would be difficult. Moreover, it could cause opposition among the people because users want to be able to enjoy their freedom of speech through and express themselves without any form of limitation.
Conclusion
The use of social media to win the 2012 presidential election, spread propaganda, engage the electorate, and promote partisan political discourses is proof that the media has gained more power with regard to politics. It has been used effectively by President Trump to attack media houses, members of his political party, and the leaders of other countries. Research has shown that social media are widely used to engage the people, present the schedules of political parties, and conduct political discourses. However, it is also being used to criticize opposition parties, spread rumors, and propaganda, and propagate political conspiracy thinking. There is a need to implement measures to regulate the power of social media in politics. Moreover, it is necessary to mitigate the effects of its wrong application by politicians, individuals, and extremist groups who have used it to ruin political discourse.
References
Bolter, J. D. (2019). Social media are ruining political Discourse. The Atlantic. Web.
Garrett, R. K. (2019). Social media’s contribution to political misperceptions in U.S. presidential elections. PLOS ONE, 14(3). Web.
Harvey, K. (Ed.). (2014). Encyclopedia of social media and politics. Sage Publications.
Increasing role of social media in politics: Pros and cons. (n.d.). Web.
Kleinnijenhuis, J., Van Hoof, A., & Van Atteveldt, W. (2019). Combined effects of mass media and social media on Political perceptions and preferences. Journal of Communication, 69(6), 650-673. Web.
Wihbey, J. (2013). Effects of the internet on politics: Research roundup. The Journalist’s Resource. Web.