Media

The Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns 🌍

Social networks have redefined modern politics, providing new opportunities for connection, but also posing significant challenges in terms of disinformation. The future success of campaigns will depend on how these platforms are used to engage and mobilize voters in a responsible and effective manner.

Ruben J. Rodríguez Cid
Publicado el
2024

Around the world, social media has transformed the way candidates connect with voters and communicate during their campaigns. From Puerto Rico to India, these digital platforms have played a fundamental role in modern politics, providing both opportunities and challenges. Here's a summary of its impact.

Puerto Rican Politics

In Puerto Rico, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook were essential in 2019 during the protests that led to the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló, demonstrating their power to amplify voices and mobilize masses. Currently, we see how the 2024 elections have taken center stage on candidates' social networks, including Instagram.

Elections in the United States

Barack Obama pioneered the use of social networks in 2008, while Donald Trump took the use of Twitter to another level in 2016, making the platform his main means of communicating with voters.

WhatsApp in India

In India, WhatsApp was key to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign, allowing him to reach rural communities and organize large scale events.

Disinformation in Brazil

In the 2018 elections, social networks also played a controversial role, with WhatsApp being used to spread mass disinformation, affecting trust in the electoral process.

The Future of Political Campaigns

As more people become informed through social networks, candidates will need to be increasingly transparent and effective in their digital interactions. The future of political campaigns will depend on how they manage social networks to achieve authentic communication with voters.

Social networks have redefined modern politics, providing new opportunities for connection, but also posing significant challenges in terms of disinformation. The future success of campaigns will depend on how these platforms are used to engage and mobilize voters in a responsible and effective manner.