AN OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT IN POLITICS

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of politics in social media – the power interplays among actors on social media as they attempt to promote their interests and values. It argues that social media cannot exist without some kind of political involvement: where there is social media there is politics; neutrality is the exception rather than the norm in social media. Next, it discusses the different manifestations of this involvement and suggests classifying the social media politics into politics of architecture (platforms and networks structure) and politics of dynamics (networks structure, information flows, and curated flows). Power is exercised in each dimension in three key modes: influencing decisions, setting the agenda, and shaping stakeholder preferences and norms.