Login / Register Submit Your Article
cover
Article Menu

Journal Browser
Vol. 6 (2024)
Vol. 5 (2023)
Vol. 4 (2022)
Vol. 3 (2021)
Vol. 2 (2020)
Vol. 1 (2019)
Open Access Journal Article

Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies

by Sarah Taylor 1,*
1
Sarah Taylor
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
FHSS  2023 5(1):36; https://doi.org/10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
Received: 3 January 2023 / Accepted: 19 January 2023 / Published Online: 22 February 2023
View Full-Text
Download PDF

Abstract

The rise of social media platforms has revolutionized the landscape of political activism, particularly within digital democracies. This paper explores the intricate relationship between social media and political activism in the context of contemporary democratic societies. It argues that while social media has provided a new and powerful tool for citizens to engage in political discourse and mobilize for social change, it also poses significant challenges and risks. By analyzing various case studies and empirical data, this paper examines how social media has facilitated the rapid dissemination of information, the formation of online communities, and the organization of protests and movements. It also delves into the limitations and potential negative impacts of social media activism, such as echo chambers, misinformation, and the empowerment of radical ideologies. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of these findings for policymakers, activists, and researchers, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to leveraging social media for political engagement and fostering democratic values.

Keywords: social media; political activism; digital democracies; information dissemination; online communities.;
Copyright: © 2023 by Taylor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Cite This Paper
APA Style
Taylor, S. (2023). Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences, 5(1), 36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
ACS Style
Taylor, S. Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2023, 5, 36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
AMA Style
Taylor S. Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences; 2023, 5(1):36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
Chicago/Turabian Style
Taylor, Sarah 2023. "Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies" Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences 5, no.1:36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222

Share and Cite

ACS Style
Taylor, S. Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2023, 5, 36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
AMA Style
Taylor S. Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences; 2023, 5(1):36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
Chicago/Turabian Style
Taylor, Sarah 2023. "Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies" Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences 5, no.1:36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222
APA style
Taylor, S. (2023). Social Media and Political Activism in Digital Democracies. Frontiers of Humanities & Social Sciences, 5(1), 36. doi:10.69610/j.fhss.20230222

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

References

  1. Burbules, N. C., & Callister, T. A. (2000). Watch IT: The Risks and Promises of Information Technologies for Education. Westview Press.
  2. Karpf, D. (2008). The brand: How Obama became Obama. Free Press.
  3. Jenkins, H., Purushotma, R., Weigenstein, M., & Green, J. (2009). Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide. New York University Press.
  4. Johnson, C. (2011). The starfish and the spider: The unstoppable power of Leaderless Organizations. HarperCollins.
  5. Sunstein, C. (2007). Infotopia: How Many Minds Produce Knowledge. Oxford University Press.
  6. Druckman, J. N., Green, D. P., & Kuklinski, J. H. (2013). The role of misinformation in politics. Annual Review of Political Science, 16, 249-268.
  7. Tandoc, E., Weaver, D., & Kalogeropoulos, D. (2011). The roles of social media in political communication: A framework and some questions for empirical research. Journal of Political Marketing, 11(1), 29-52.
  8. Kruikemeier, C., & Tandoc, E. (2015). Social media as a tool for political communication: The role of content and audience engagement. Social Science Computer Review, 33(5), 612-628.
  9. Egdal, C. (2015). Social media and the empowerment of radical ideologies: A case study of the Islamic State. International Journal of Communication, 9, 498-520.
  10. Colarik, A. M. (2015). The dark side of social media: Hathor social media campaign as a counter-narrative to Isis. Journal of International Marketing, 23(1), 24-37.
  11. Lazer, D., Pentland, A. S., Adamic, L. A., Aral, S., Barabási, A.-L., Brewer, D. J., ... & Watts, D. J. (2014). Social science in the age of big data. Science, 343(6177), 602-605.
  12. Barberá, P., Bessi, A., Capocci, A., Caldarelli, G., & Scala, A. (2015). Social networks, information diffusion, and political mobilization: lessons from the #occupy Wall Street movement. PLoS ONE, 10(7), e0130895.