In the digital age, social media has been utilized as a powerful force in the world of politics. The voices of the unheard are brought to center stage, people gain coverage on international affairs in real-time, and allow for public users to engage in fact checking to hold public officials accountable.
Many journalists and political leaders use platforms such as X[Twitter], Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to garner the attention and support of potential followers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez utilizes the livestream component of Instagram and Twitch to interact and inform followers of bills and events in the House of Representatives.
Bisan Owda, who goes by wizard_bisan1 on her social media accounts, is a Palestinian journalist who has consistently given the world updates on the lives of refugees suffering from the horrors of the war on Gaza. Had it not been for Owda’s efforts, along with others like Hossam Shabat, who is among the many 206 Palestinian journalists who have been killed since October 2023, the world may not have had access to such virtual firsthand accounts.
Social media also plays a critical role in holding public officials accountable. X(formally known as Twitter), has a feature that allows users to fact-check statements, often displaying them in the form of ‘community notes’ which shows itself before people click on the post. These responses happen in real-time, pushing for more clarification and discouraging dishonesty. Viral posts, and independent journalists contribute to more transparency in political discourse online.
Despite its many benefits, social media also presents significant challenges in the political landscape. One of the most recurring issues is the spread of misinformation. False or misleading information is just as capable to spread as easily as accurate information. According to a study executed by researchers at MIT, fake news can spread ten times as fast as accurate news does. One 2022 study found that twenty percent of the videos posted to TikTok contained false information.
“Social media often leads to an easy spread of misinformation; social media is a powerful tool in this day and age due to how freeing it is due to the amount of information.” says current Broadcast Journalism student Jonathan Charles.
Another major concern with social media being used for political discourse is political polarization. Algorithms on social media create echo chambers that already align with the users beliefs. This can reinforce bias, and also drown out a lot of marginalized voices and replace them with pages or individuals who have a bigger platform but do very little to help in certain causes.
“With apps like TikTok, their algorithm has been able to uplift the voices of those who don’t have that voice–However, bigger blog profiles are able to use their platforms to take advantage of those that feel unheard,” says current Broadcast Journalism Jah’mal Lapomarel.
Despite these challenges social media continues to be a dominant force in the field of politics. As these platforms evolve, their role in politics will likely grow offering new opportunities and challenges.