THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON DEMOCRATIC DISCOURSE AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE 2017 INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM IN CATALONIA

It is a common conception that the internet’s ability to be everywhere at once and educate untold numbers of people across the globe in countless languages has leveled the playing field, making it the ideal public forum for the 21st century. Social networking sites (SNSs), in particular, have changed how we communicate with others and stay informed. This study analyzes through a psychological frame how social media networks, especially Twitter and Facebook, weaken deliberative democratic discourse by exacerbating group fragmentation and polarization, creating echo chambers and information cascades, and triggering social and cognitive biases. This work also includes a case study on the social media and communications landscape leading up to the 2017 referendum for Catalan independence. Although media sources and social networks in Spain were divided ideologically by their stances on independence, individuals appeared willing to cross party lines to engage in political debate online.Master of Art