Social Media’s impact on Greek elections outcome (Petrou S. Aikaterini, Ph.D Candidate of Ionian University)

Abstract

This paper aims to assess social media’s impact on a country’s political scene, the influence on common sense, and whether this can determine or lead to election outcomes. The land that social media is continuously obtaining in Greek society is more than evident today. More and more users, especially young people, advise social media for their daily awareness of what happens globally, or to check common sense’s feedback for big events, especially in social and political life. This new trend has been under research by many social academics in recent years. In addition to that the political parties do know that along with communicating through traditional media such as television and newspapers, they must invest in digital political communication and campaigning if they want to reach their audience. Do voter turnout, civic engagement, and participation in social and political movements have been increased or not? Despite the literature revealing that social media has affected engagement in social events and shapes political beliefs, the official data of the latest Greek elections do not prove it.