The Future of Democracy in the Digital Age: The Impact of Social Media and Digital Technologies on Political Participation
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Mahtab Hussain
,
Marium Akhtar
,
Sara Anwar
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The study uses qualitative case studies from India, the United States, and Kenya to analyse how social media and digital technologies shape political participation. It finds that digital platforms can foster civic engagement by spreading political information, enabling peer-to-peer mobilization, and amplifying marginalized voices, while also generating risks such as misinformation, algorithmic bias, polarization, and unequal access. The paper argues that digital technologies hold significant potential to enhance democratic engagement—particularly among youth and digitally literate citizens—provided they are accompanied by improved digital literacy, fair access, and robust governance.
https://real.spcrd.org/index.php/real/article/download/470/464
Post created by: Virginia Signorini