Title: Social media use in politics - Wikipedia
Headings: Social media use in politics
Social media use in politics
Contents
Background
Participatory role
As a news source
Attention economy
As a public utility
Government regulation
Effect on democracy
Democratization
The Arab Spring
Disinformation
Advertisement
Grassroots campaigns
Election interference
Election results
Impact on elections
Role in conflict
Non-state actors and militant groups
Weaponization by state actors
See also
References

Content: Through the use of social media in election processes, global conflict, and extreme politics, diplomacy around the world has become less private and susceptive to the public perception. Contents
1 Background
1.1 Participatory role
1.2 As a news source
1.3 Attention economy
1.4 As a public utility
1.4.1 Government regulation
2 Effect on democracy
2.1 Democratization
2.1.1 The Arab Spring
2.2 Disinformation
2.3 Advertisement
2.4 Grassroots campaigns
2.5 Election interference
2.6 Election results
2.7 Impact on elections
3 Role in conflict
3.1 Non-state actors and militant groups
3.2 Weaponization by state actors
4 See also
5 References
Background
Participatory role
Social media have been championed as allowing anyone with an Internet connection to become a content creator and empowering their users. The idea of “new media populism” encompasses how citizens can include disenfranchised citizens, and allow the public to have an engaged and active role in political discourse. New media, including social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, can enhance people's access to political information. Social media platforms and the internet have facilitated the dissemination of political information that counters mainstream media tactics that are often centralized and top-down, and include high barriers to entry. Writer Howard Rheingold characterized the community created on social networking sites: "The political significance of computer mediated communication lies in its capacity to challenge the existing political hierarchy’s monopoly on powerful communications media, and perhaps thus revitalize citizen-based democracy." Scholar Derrick de Kerckhove described the new technology in media: "In a networked society, the real powershift is from the producer to the consumer, and there is a redistribution of controls and power. On the Web, Karl Marx’s dream has been realized: