Hello there, my name's Mrs. Hastings.

Welcome to today's lesson, I'm really looking forward to taking you on our learning journey today.

Today's lesson comes from the unit, "Can Digital Democracy Increase Political Participation?" And in today's lesson, we are going to explore the following title, "How Can Social Media Be Used to Increase Political Participation?" So, let's get on with our learning, and I'm wishing you all the best of luck with it today.

So, in today's lesson, by the end of it, you will be able to critically assess the use of social media to increase political participation.

The key words we're going to be using today are political participation, the active involvement of citizens in the political process, such as voting in elections, engaging in debates, or joining political groups.

And social media, websites and applications that enable users to create and share content, or to participate in social networking.

There are two parts to our learning journey today.

The first learning cycle we will be exploring, "Can social media boost political engagement?" And in the second learning cycle, "Is social media a reliable political tool?" So let's crack on with our first learning cycle, "Can social media boost political engagement?" Political participation means getting involved in political issues to help shape decisions or outcomes.

So what are the different ways that we could get involved in the political issues? Have a little think about that, and maybe a quick discussion with your learning partner.

So, you might have come up with the following: voting in elections, joining a political campaign, contacting a politician, signing a petition, joining a peaceful protest.

It can be direct action or indirect action.

It can be in-person, or it can be online.

So how you participate can vary.

What do you think the most popular social media platforms for 16 to 24-year-olds were in 2024? Again, have a think, and have a conversation with your learning partner about that question.

So what are the most popular social media platforms for young people's 16 to 24 in 2024? So according to a report by Ofcom, the most popular social media platforms for this age range were YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, FaceTime, X or Twitter, Teams, and BeReal.

How have political parties used social media to engage with voters? Political parties in the UK, including the Conservatives, the Labour Party, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party all use social media to raise awareness about their policies and encourage voter support.

For example, they create short videos sharing information about their values and policies.

Social media teams try to make their content interesting and engaging so that it gets their message across and is more likely to be shared across social media.

Social media has helped more people get involved in politics in powerful ways.

For example, people share their political views online, raise awareness about issues, and encourage others to get involved in causes or movements.

Organise and coordinate events such as protests using social media, bypassing traditional organising methods.

Share online petitions and campaign messages to build support for political or social causes, helping movements grow from the ground up.

Hold politicians accountable by questioning them, sharing concerns or evidence of wrongdoing, and amplifying underreported issues, so making them more widely known about.

Engage in discussions through comment sections, threads, and group chats, which allow users to debate and discuss political topics and build communities around shared values.

Create and share political content, such as memes, videos, infographics, and live streams, which make politics more accessible.

And promote voter registration, share information about polling stations, and explain how voting works.

So there are lots of different ways there that social media can boost political participation.

So, let's check our understanding.

Which of the following is the best example of how social media empowers ordinary people to participate in politics, a, watching comedy videos, b, posting photos of food, c, sharing a petition, or d, playing games? Which of those is the best example of how social media empowers ordinary people to participate in politics, a, b, c, or d? The answer is c, sharing a petition.

So, well done, if you correctly identified that.

Why is social media considered a powerful tool for political participation, a, it allows people to avoid politics entirely, b, it gives people a way to get involved in campaigns, c, it helps celebrities promote their bans, brands, or d, it replaces the need for voting? So which of those is considered a powerful tool that social media can be used for political participation? The correct answer is b, it gives people a way to get involved in campaigns.

Well done, if you correctly identified that.

We're going to look at some case studies now.

The Black Lives Matter movement, first of all, in the UK, 2020.

The Black Lives Matter movement was started by three black American women in 2013, however, it gained major attention in the UK after the death of George Floyd in the U.

S.

on the 25th of May, 2020.

A video of the incident, filmed by a bystander, went viral on social media and sparked global protests, amplifying calls for racial justice.

In the UK, social media was used by young people, activists, and public figures to organise protests, share personal stories, and call for changes in society.

How social media was used.

Viral hashtags, often referred to as hashtag activism, such as #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd.

Virtual rallies were held due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Social media platforms hosted live talks, online protests, and virtual discussions.

Influencers and public figures shared experiences, petitions, and educational posts about systemic racism.

And personal stories were shared, which spread awareness.

People posted infographics, book and documentary suggestions.

So what impact did the Black Lives Matter movement have in the UK? Some politicians made speeches supporting the campaign, others face growing pressure to address racism and reform the police.

Some people criticise new laws, like the People, Crime and Sentencing Act for limiting the right to protest.

Statutes, such as slave trader Edward Colston's, were removed without legal permission, sparking debate on colonial history.

More people called for changes to society to address inequality.

Diversity and inclusion efforts grew in some schools and workplaces.

And the movement raised awareness that racism exists in the UK, not just in the U.

S.

So, let's check our understanding.

What was the main goal of the Black Lives Matter movement? Was it a, to protest against all police, b, to support political candidates, c, to raise a profile of celebrities and influencers, or d, to raise awareness about racial injustice? The correct answer is d, to raise awareness about racial injustice.

True or false.

Social media helps people in the UK organise protests and share information during the Black Lives Matter movement.

Is that true or false? The correct answer is that it is true.

Why? Social media played a key role in helping people organise protests, share stories, and raise awareness about racism in the UK.

It made it easier for more voices to be heard and for action to happen quickly.

So, well done, if you got that right.

So, onto our first practise task.

I'd like you to list three specific ways social media helps boost political participation.

And secondly, why do you think social media was important for spreading the message of the Black Lives Matter movement? Explain your answer in one paragraph.

Pause the video whilst you complete those two parts to this practise task.

Well done for completing that practise task.

So, firstly, I asked you to list three specific ways social media can boost political participation.

You may have chosen the following: sharing political opinions and news, organising protests or movements, and signing and sharing petitions.

And secondly, I asked you to explain why do you think social media was important for spreading the message of the Black Lives Matter movement? You may have written something like this.

"Social media was important for spreading the message of the Black Lives Matter movement because it allowed people to quickly share news, videos, and personal stories with a wide audience.

For example, the video of George Floyd's death spread rapidly online, helping people across the world understand racial injustice and support the movement.

Social media also helped people organise protests, raise awareness, and speak out about racism, giving more people a chance to get involved in the campaign." Well done for completing that task.

So, let's go onto our second learning cycle in today's lesson, "Is social media a reliable political tool?" Lucas asks, "Is social media always a reliable way to get involved in politics?" Social media has made it easier than ever to take part in politics, by sharing opinions, organising protests, or learning about issues.

But just because something is easier or popular, does that mean it is always reliable? Have a think about that question, and discuss it with your learning partner.

What might the strengths of social media and political participation include? Again, have a think, and discuss with your learning partner.

So you might have discussed the following.

Increased awareness and information dissemination, according to Statista, 79% of people in the UK use social media.

That means that more and more people can access it, and more information can be easily sent out and received by people.

Mobilisation and organisation.

Social media platforms have been used to organise mass movements.

Hashtags and viral posts can rally people quickly.

Lower participation barriers.

Online activism enables greater political engagement, especially for younger or marginalised groups.

And peer influence.

Seeing friends engage politically can increase individual likelihood of participation due to social influence and perceived norms. But what could the limitations and risks of social media be? Again, discuss that with your learning partner, the question.

So you might have come up with the following.

Superficial engagement, also known as slacktivism.

Many social media actions, so pressing like or sharing something, doesn't actually lead to deep participation, such as voting.

It's all very easy to go like, or share, but actually to then get out and vote or take part in a protest is a lot harder, and so people might not actually do that.

Echo chambers and polarisation.

So algorithms often show people content that matches their view, which can reduce understanding of other opinions and increase division.

And so basically what happens is you only end up receiving messages that are the same messages that you keep seeing, because it matches that algorithm, the more you receive it, the less diversity of opinions you will see.

Misinformation and disinformation.

False or misleading information can spread quickly, making it hard to know what is true, and harming trust in democracy.

And unequal access, not everyone has the same access to technology or the internet, so not all groups can participate equally in online politics.

So, again, that digital divide.

So let's check our understanding.

I'd like you to put a tick next to strengths, and a cross next to limitations of social media.

a, increased awareness and information dissemination, b, misinformation and disinformation, c, lower participation barriers, d, echo chambers and polarisation, and e, superficial engagement, slacktivism.

So, a, increased awareness and information dissemination, is a strength.

b, misinformation and disinformation, is a limitation.

c, lower participation barriers, is a strength.

d, echo chambers and polarisation, is a limitation.

And e, superficial engagement or slacktivism, is also a limitation.

So, well done, if you correctly identified those.

We're gonna have a look at another case study now.

So, the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal is one of the most high-profile examples of how social media data can be misused for political manipulation, raising significant concerns about privacy, ethics, and the role of digital platforms in democracy.

"What happened?" Asks Lucas.

A quiz app called Thisisyourdigitallife collected data from people on Facebook.

When users took the quiz, the app gathered their personal data, and also the data of their Facebook friends, without permission.

Around 87 million profiles were collected and used by a company called Cambridge Analytica.

Approximately 1.

1 million of these were people who were living or based in the UK.

This led to psychographic profiling.

The data was used to build detailed psychological profiles of voters.

These profiles were then used to deliver highly-targeted political adverts.

Micro-targeting and manipulation.

Adverts were crafted to exploit emotional triggers.

Messages were targeted to specific people, and not to the wider public.

So they were using that psychographic profiling to specifically target certain things to certain voters.

Swing voters in key constituencies were targeted to influence election outcome.

So there was evidence of voter manipulation in those swing areas.

Lucas asked, "What was the impact?" Well, both Cambridge Analytica and Facebook were found to have broken the Data Protection Act 1998 by using people's data without their knowledge.

Facebook was fined 500,000 pounds for two breaches, the maximum penalty under the 1998 law.

They also received fines in the U.

S.

Cambridge Analytica shut down in 2018.

The Data Protection Act 1998 has now been replaced by the Data Protection Act 2018, which enforces General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, in the UK.

GDPR sets much stricter rules on how personal data must be handled.

So, let's check our understanding.

What did Cambridge Analytica do with Facebook data, a, used it to fix app bugs, b, sold it to online stores, c, collected it to build voter profiles, or d, shared it with Facebook friends? So which of those is the correct answer to, "What did Cambridge Analytica do with Facebook data?" Well done, if you correctly identified that it was c, collected it to build voter profiles.

The following statement contains three errors, find them and fix them.

Cambridge Analytica collected data through a gaming quiz app on Instagram.

When people used the app, it also collected videos from their online friends without asking for permission.

So, that statement contains three errors, find them and fix them.

So, Cambridge Analytica collected data through a personality quiz app on Facebook.

When people used the app, it also collected information from their online friends without asking for permission.

So, well done there.

Social media has empowered ordinary people to participate in politics in several impactful ways.

So for your practise task, what I'd like you to do is explain, with examples, one reason why social media is a reliable way to increase political participation, and one reason why it might not be.

Pause the video whilst you complete this task.

So, I asked you to explain, with examples, one reason why social media is a reliable way to increase political participation, and one reason why it might not be.

You may have written the following.

"Social media can be a reliable way to increase political participation because it spreads information quickly and allows people to take action.

For example, during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, people used social media to share videos, plan protests, and talk about racism.

However, it is not always reliable.

In the Cambridge Analytic scandal in 2018, personal data from millions of Facebook users was used without permission to target people with political ads.

This shows that social media can also be used to influence people unfairly, or without them knowing." Well done for completing that task, and well done for completing today's lesson.

So, in summary, social media can be a powerful tool for political participation.

It allows people to share views, organise protests, sign petitions, and spread awareness of important issues.

Case studies like the Black Lives Matter movement show how young people and activists have used social media to demand change and hold those in power accountable.

Political parties also use social media to connect with voters and share their ideas.

However, social media's reliability is affected by risks like misinformation, echo chambers, and data misuse, which challenge trust in digital platforms and democracy.

For example, this was seen with the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018." Well done for completing today's lesson on "How can social media be used to increase political participation?" I hope you've enjoyed your learning today, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Bye.