Social Media Platforms and Political Communication

Today, more than ever, with social distancing having been decreed, communication and political debate unfold, instantaneously, across virtual networks. And each time, with more force, they build the future of the public agenda.

The Fourth Estate's fall from power with the loss of influence of the traditional media, particularly the written press, and at the same time, the bankruptcy of the classical party system, have catapulted social networks as a determining mechanism of partisan propaganda. As well as ideological manipulation and social polarisation.

The history of journalism teaches us that modern democracy soon moved away from the Greek world. When public speaking moved to the parliamentary representation of citizens in the new ‘Multi-party State’, political discussion had to identify public opinion. Mass media became true creators of that public opinion and, ultimately, those holding the power in their demand for responsibility. Now it is the social networks that define many political debates and, with it, the very mood of the citizens.

The transformation of public space is so forceful with the use of social networks and new communication technologies that political parties have had to adapt to a reality that compels them to reset their own definition as channels of mediation between the political leaders and the electors.     

From talking about the advantages of social networks for political participation to allowing the active presence of each user and their direct relationship with public players, we have gone on to highlight the dangers that it poses to democratic practice itself.

Despite being open to colossal sources of information provided by digital technologies, the business models of the social platforms and the sectoral fragmentation that they foster, they influence the creation of segmented communication bubbles that harm public discussion between different groups and cut off the inherent plurality of any democratic society.

Worse still, through increasingly sophisticated and individualised instruments, users of social networks are reached, but exacerbating their own intuition or prejudices, and, thereby, creating vandalistic or hooligan-like communities that radicalise our opinions and divide society.

Digital manipulation instruments have become one of the most disturbing developments in technological innovation. The analysis and consumption of Big Data, psychographic profiles, algorithms, bots and artificial intelligence have become mechanisms for manipulating public opinion in a digitalised communication scenario in which more and more political players oppose positions from all parties and nationalities.

Ultimately, over a short period of time we have moved from the democratising idealism that made the use of digital technologies possible, to a certain anthropological pessimism due to the abuse of disinformation and the increasing manipulation of our cyber footprint for spurious or destabilising purposes. This unprecedented new political confrontation on a global scale is putting our democracies into a check position, and we are yet to see if this will turn into checkmate.

You can read the full article here: https://www.minsait.com/ideasfordemocracy/en/social-media-platforms-political-communication-full