Abstract

JORDAN PRUDENCIO, Nicole. Democratizing potential of social media: Imaginary vs. reality. J. Com. Soc. [online]. 2018, vol.7, n.7, pp. 49-86. ISSN 2412-5733.

Even though social media represent new spaces for political expression, participation and action, it is important not to overestimate their democratizing potential, since they are also susceptible to issues that could limit or hamper certain democratic processes, particularly in highly politicized and polarized contexts, such as electoral cycles. Thus, it is crucial to make a balance of all the positive and negative aspects of the relationship between social media and democracy, in order to -based upon the former analysis- continue to demystify some imaginaries and identify the true challenges and opportunities posed by these new digital political spaces for the ongoing construction of democracy in the country.

Keywords : Social media (networks); democracy; spaces; politics; participation.