The Influence of Social Media on Public Opinion: Understanding Its Power and Impact. WebQuest by Joudy Darwiche Grade: 11/12

Here’s a step-by-step guide to complete the campaign, including helpful links for each task:

               Step 1: Research 

Begin by reading articles and watching videos that discuss how social media affects public opinion. Focus on topics such as:

• Articles:

  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion - Pew Research Center:  https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/12/06/social-media-seen-as-mostly-good-for-democracy-across-many-nations-but-u-s-is-a-major-outlier/
  • How Social Media Shapes Public Opinion-BBC News : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8e4p4z97eo
  • The role of algorithms in news feeds  - The New York Times : Opinion | Social Media Algorithms Control Us. It’s Time To Push Back. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• YouTube Videos:

  • Fake news vs real news : 
    

     

  • How Misinformation Spreads :  
  •  

  • The Role of Social Media in Politics :  
    

     

               Step 2 : Analyze Platforms

Choose two social media platforms (e.g., Twitter and Instagram) and compare how they influence public opinion differently. You may want to consider:

• How they use algorithms to show content to users.

• The impact of influencers and trends on public opinion.

• Audience demographics and how they affect engagement on social media platforms.

• Useful Links for Comparison:

  • • Twitter:

      • https://blog.hootsuite.com/twitter-algorithm/ 

    • Instagram:

      • How Instagram's Algorithm Works 

    • Facebook:

      • https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-algorithm/

    • TikTok:

      • https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-algorithm/
      • https://www.theverge.com/22585656/tiktok-trends-sounds-hashtags-how-to-videos

    • YouTube:

      • https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-the-youtube-algorithm-works/

    • Snapchat:

      • https://newsroom.snap.com/

               Step 3:  Misinformation                                                                  

Research how false information spreads on social media. Look into case studies, such as COVID-19 misinformation or false claims in political campaigns.

Analyse how this affects people's views and decision-making.  

• Articles & Resources:
  • Misinformation on Social Media During COVID-19 - BBC News : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53755067
  • Fake News and Social Media : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10796-022-10242-z
  • How Misinformation Affects Democracy - TEDxTalks : 
    

     

               Step 4: Group Discussion and Brainstorming

Get into small groups and discuss your findings. Consider the following discussion points:

• How does social media shape public perception positively and negatively?
• Can it foster a more informed society, or does it lead to division and confusion? Write down key points from your discussion.   

               Step 5: Create a Presentation

Using your research and group discussions, create a presentation. Ensure you use visuals (charts, memes, real social media posts) and back up your findings with examples. You can choose one of the following formats:

• Slide Deck: PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.

• Video: A short video documenting your analysis.

• Infographic: A visual representation of how social media shapes public opinion.

• Presentation Tools:

  • Google Slides : Google Slides: Presentation Slideshow Maker | Google Workspace
  • https://www.canva.com/en_gb/?msockid=3926196162006f8204f40b6d63096ee6 for creating infographics
  • Video Maker | Make Videos and Animations Online | Powtoon or https://animoto.com/ for video presentations

               Step 6: Present and Reflect

Present your work to the class. After the presentations, engage in a reflective discussion about the role of social media in shaping public opinion. Consider questions such as:

• How did social media influence your views during major events (e.g., elections, protests)?
• What can we do to ensure we are not misled by misinformation?