How can social media be used to increase political participation?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can critically assess the use of social media to increase political participation.
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.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to critically evaluate both the benefits and risks of social media in politics, using case studies to deepen understanding.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the term to the correct definition.
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
Q2.What is one way digital media can help increase political engagement?
Q3.An MP is someone who has been to represent people in the House of Commons.
Q4.How did the height of the Covid-19 pandemic change the way MPs voted?
Q5.Why do some people think MPs should be allowed to vote remotely in the future?
Q6.Which of the following is a possible downside of digital political participation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the term to its correct definition.
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
Q2.Which of these is a way social media can help improve political participation?
Q3.The movement became well known after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Q4.What is one limitation of using social media for political engagement?
Q5.In 2018, Cambridge collected personal data from Facebook users without their full consent.
Q6.Which of the following is a sign that social media doesn’t always lead to real political participation?
To help you plan your 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 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
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.