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Access to social media and digitized communication has been a double-edged sword in Africa. Initially, people were able to share ideas, information, and messages electronically which enabled a vibrant civil society and a shift in politics on the continent. Today, the impact of social media on politics is more nuanced. On the positive side, widespread access to social media platforms has fostered civic participation, political mobilization, and improved coordination among citizens. At the same time, social media has fueled growing dissatisfaction and distrust towards democratic institutions through misinformation and disinformation. This has, in turn, exacerbated political instability particularly in fragile contexts.
Social media and civic capacity
Over the past two decades, social media has revolutionized civic activism across Africa, enabling citizens to mobilize quickly, massively, and effectively. We have seen how various movements illustrate the power of social media platforms in organizing protests and drawing global attention, and catalyse both local and international action.
However, the ability of institutions to meet these heightened social expectations has not kept pace. The disconnect between rising civic capacity and institutional responsiveness threatens to turn liberal civic engagement into widespread distrust, populism, and radicalization, particularly among the youth, who are most active on digital platforms.
The rise of populism and radicalization, driven by unmet social expectations and amplified by the spread of misinformation, has led to a volatile political environment.
Social Media (mis)information and political perceptions
The ease with which misinformation can spread has exacerbated tensions and contributed to the erosion of institutional and interpersonal trust especially in places where digital platforms have been used both to organize protests and to disseminate extremist ideologies, leading to a dangerous mix of political and social polarization.
The democratization of information access, creation and dissemination permitted by social media platforms has certainly enhanced public discourse and civic engagement, but it has also encouraged the proliferation of misinformation and the polarization of opinions. The amplification of radicalized opinions through online platforms’ algorithms further erodes support for democratic principles.
This complex relationship shows how online news consumption in Africa has fueled distrust in democratic institutions while simultaneously increasing political mobilization through protests and voting. This paradox may be partly explained by the nature of internet-fueled protests, which often lack structured leadership and long-term impact, thereby fostering distrust in institutions and shifting political preferences towards more conservative parties.
The research also shows that the loss of faith in institutions meant to uphold democracy coincides with internet-induced misconceptions about their core principles. However, this link between institutional distrust and misinformation probably also reflects deeper issues, such as the unpreparedness of institutional frameworks to handle digitized forms of political engagement in a context of rural-urban divide exacerbating tensions between aspirations to modern lifestyles and adherence to traditional values.
Deliberate misinformation has consequently been used to legitimize violence and has led to eroding social cohesion. The resulting political instability and declining social trust threaten inclusive growth and the capacity to meet the needs of the region's expanding population.
To counter the negative effects of misinformation there is an urgent need to have the right policies in place while enhancing civic engagement. As Africa navigates its digital transformation, the need for robust governance and institutions, press freedom, strengthened investigative journalism or regulation of the presence of global social media platforms on the continent is becoming increasingly crucial.
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