The Importance Of Social Media In Democracy

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Social media technology, with regards to political parties, provides parties with an accessible, cost-efficient channel through which they can communicate openly and responsively with the people. The parties are able to build strategic, socially responsible and mutually beneficial relationships with the people (Skinner, Mersham and Benecke: 147). Some of the most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Whatsapp and more recently Snapchat. A social media study in 2015 showed that a quarter of all South Africans, 13 million people, use Facebook. Twitter had 7,4 million people and YouTube had 8.28 million users(van Zyl 2015). All these statistics showed an increase in usage from the previous years.
On the 15th of January …show more content…

It is important that the people be involved in matters of government especially those that affect them and social media allows them to ask questions and have an easier time understanding what everything means in politics. Democracy is based on the voice of the people and if more and more people begin to get involved it means that South Africa’s democracy is evolving and this is good as it allows for a government that is truly representative of the people and not just a portion of the people but all …show more content…

This is to avoid political parties intimidating voters on voting day (Community Organisers Toolbox. 2016). The proportional representative system used for metropolitan municipalities is praised for the way it translates votes cast into seats won giving a voice to small parties. It also encourages parties to campaign beyond the districts in which they are strong, and this is because it can still get seats in other places no matter how small. The DA is strong in the Western Cape and even though they are electorally weak in Mpumalanga they still have seats there (ACE Project.