Is Social Media good or bad for Democracy? Asks Isobel Chase

Is Social Media good or bad for Democracy?

In this blog I would like to discuss how social media impacts democracy, in terms of segregation and political movements.

One of The issues with Social Media is that you are only aware of what you choose to expose yourself to. People are less likely to seek out Social Media accounts and people who disagree with their own political views, being more comfortable when surrounded by those who agree with them. This is how echo chambers are formed.

Echo chambers are where the growth of balanced feeds and opinions are stunted. For example, members of minority groups are more likely to exclusively follow other members of that same minority group, to escape the sexism, racism, or homophobia they might otherwise experience. Whilst this is completely understandable, it means that neither the majority nor minority group will be exposed to opinions from the other side.

Occasionally, a comment will manage to penetrate an echo chamber, but it is most likely to be immediately drowned out with angry and often irrational comments to the contrary, without even being considered. It is almost like a mob mentality; even if an individual, given time to think about the comment, could come to some kind of agreement with it, the echo chamber will force them to shout it down, because a different point of view is de-normalised in these places. It is taken as provocation rather than a suggestion and is therefore attacked in return.

I also believe another problem is that majority groups can be reluctant to listen to the suggestions and arguments of minority groups, because they lead a life mostly free from discrimination, cyber attacks and aimed slurs. This can lead to them being blind to the issues of others. I often hear that there’s “no gender pay gap” or that we have “racial equality” or I hear comments dehumanising people who identify as anything other than straight. These kind of comments are made daily and, as well as being ignorant, they are incredibly hurtful trivialising the trauma minority groups are forced to endure. These, for me, are some of the most hurtful comments.

If, however, you are from a country without democracy, Social Media can be an individual’s only way of expressing their beliefs. An example of this would be the Arab Spring – a series of anti-government protests in response to oppressive regimes and poor standards of living, which were widely organized through Social Media. Social Media also helped the cause through spreading awareness of the oppression these people were subject to, as well as letting the world know that they were actively doing something about it, piquing interest in people from other countries.

In conclusion, I don’t believe that Social Media impacts democracy positively, however I am aware that this is an opinion I’ve formed in my very own echo chamber, of England, where we are lucky enough to have a democracy. Social Media may not, in my opinion, benefit democracy here, but in less fortunate countries, it may be the key to a fairer life.

Isobel Chase