The new form of democracy: How is social media changing the political opinions of the common man?

 

Today, while scrolling through the screens of Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube or TikTok, we are not just looking for entertainment, but are also unknowingly forming our own political opinions. Once the mainstay of democracy was the storm in a teacup or the pages of a newspaper. Today, social media has taken over that place. Today's discussion is about how this digital world is changing the definition, nature and future of our democracy.

## 🏛️ Definition and current nature of democracy

In the general sense, democracy is the rule of the people, where the ultimate power of the state is in the hands of the citizens and they elect representatives through votes. However, in the age of social media, the nature of democracy has undergone a huge transformation. It is no longer limited to voting every five years; rather, it has taken the form of a "digital people's court".

By nature, modern-day democracy is much more immediate and participatory. The reaction to any political decision, policy or event now reaches millions of people within moments.  The common man is no longer just a listener or voter, he is also a content creator and political critic.

## 📱 How social media is changing opinions (expansion and impact)

Social media is controlling and changing our political thinking in three main ways:

* Information Echo Chamber: Social media algorithms show us more of the content we like. As a result, people do not see arguments outside their own opinions. As a result, their political opinions become more radical or one-sided.

* Influencer and Troll Army: Social media influencers or IT cells of various parties are now able to change the opinions of the common man faster than traditional political leaders.

* Fake information and propaganda: Deepfake videos and fake news created with artificial intelligence (AI) spread 6 times faster on social media than real news.  This false information before the election can completely change the psychology of the common voter.

## ⚖️ The result: Good vs. Bad

The result of this expansion of social media in democracy is twofold:

* Positive result (benefit): The voice of the common people is now much stronger. Any injustice or corruption in remote areas can be brought directly to the attention of the government through social media. As a result, the younger generation is becoming much more aware of politics than before.

* Negative result (bad result): Intolerance and political polarization in society are taking extreme forms. Mud-slinging is taking the place of rational debate. Sometimes online rumors are turning into violence on the ground, which is a big threat to a healthy democracy.

 ## 🏛️ Government's role in protecting social media and democracy:

In this digital age, governments have to play a role in three main areas to maintain the nature of democracy and prevent rumors:

* Lawmaking and regulation: The government needs to enact strict yet individual freedom-friendly laws to prevent fake news, hate speech, and AI Deepfakes on social media. However, it is also the government's responsibility to ensure that these laws do not curtail citizens' freedom of speech or the right to criticize the government.

* Accountability of technology companies: Bringing global tech giants like Meta (Facebook/Instagram), X (Twitter), or TikTok under scrutiny for how their algorithms are working. The government plays a key role in forcing these companies to be transparent about the source of money and boosting processes in political campaigns.

* Digital literacy and awareness raising: It is not possible to control opinions through laws alone.  Therefore, the government can take the initiative to teach the common citizens the method of fact-checking through the state education and information structure, so that people can easily recognize propaganda.

## 💡 Final words

It is true that social media has brought democracy into the hands of the common people, but at the same time it has also become a tool to manipulate or control our opinions. Therefore, to maintain a healthy and independent democratic society, citizens must develop the habit of verifying the truth of information on social media (Media Literacy).