How can social media be used to increase political participation?
I can critically assess the use of social media to increase political participation.
How can social media be used to increase political participation?
I can critically assess the use of social media to increase political participation.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Social media increases political participation by enabling sharing, organising and raising awareness.
- The Black Lives Matter movement is an example of how social media can influence public debate and political action.
- Social media boosts political participation but its reliability is limited by issues e.g. misinformation & polarisation.
- Data misuse scandals show risks to privacy and trust, raising questions about social media’s reliability.
Keywords
Political participation - the active involvement of citizens in the political process, such as voting in elections, engaging in debates, or joining political groups
Social media - websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking
Common misconception
Social media automatically leads to increased political participation because it reaches so many people.
Social media can engage many, but it doesn’t ensure political participation. Misinformation, digital divides, echo chambers, and apathy can hinder impact. Success depends on content quality, usage, and users’ critical thinking skills.
To help you plan your year 9 citizenship lesson on: How can social media be used to increase political participation?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 citizenship lesson on: How can social media be used to increase political participation?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the Can digital democracy increase political participation? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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Adult supervision required
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
using technology to support democratic processes
the chamber in the Houses of Parliament where laws are made
an elected person who represents people in the UK Parliament
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
platforms people use to share messages and ideas online
taking part in activities that influence how a country is run
using online tags to promote or support a cause
when some people can't access or use digital technology easily