Social Media and the Autocratic Regime

Week 14 603 Discussion
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Week 14 603 Discussion
The advancement in technology has shifted the political landscape. There is no double that traditional media like TV and radio has been instrumental in shaping political opinions. However, social media is now playing a major role in political circles. However, it also presents destructive elements, making social media lethal and too subject to misuse if left unchecked.
On the one hand, social media is a tool for propagating democracy in autocratic nations (Gunitsky, 2015). Through social media, individuals can organize protests and mobilize for attendance. The case of the Egyptian revolution is an indication that social media platforms like Facebook can be used to advocate for change (Eltantawy & Wiest, 2011).
However, autocratic regimes could also use social media for surveillance and propaganda. Such regimes' misuse of social media to create propaganda can distract voters from real political issues. The proliferation of fake news indicates that autocratic countries can misuse social media to divert people from important political agendas and force them to discuss less important issues (Bayer et al., 2019). For i...