Title: Social media influence on political instability

Introduction

There is considerable concern about the role that social media, such as Facebook and Twitter,

play in promoting misperceptions during political campaigns. These technologies are widely

used, and the amount of inaccurate information flowing across them has a high profile. Social

media use by this group reduced issue misperceptions relative to those who only used other

social media. These results demonstrate that social media can alter citizens’ willingness to

endorse falsehoods during an election, but that the effects are often small. Additionally, research

about political uses of Twitter during election time has shown that this platform not only engages

partisan individuals that try to extend their offline political reach but also involves racial and

secular minorities in the political process by either broadcasting information on the campaign or

having conversations with others, and these interactions mobilize and acknowledge them.

Aims and objectives of the study

The objectives of this study are to examine and highlight current and foundational studies on the

influence of social media on political instability as well as the proposed policy implications. To

accomplish this, pursue all of the following goals:

1) To investigate and analyze the impact of social media on political instability.

2) Review of recent studies and tweets related to political instability

3) Identify and encounter relevant challenges in politics by misperception on Twitter.

Research questions

The essential questions this research seeks to address are listed below:

1) How does social media influence political instability?

2) What are the recent studies and tweets related to political instability?

3) What are the challenges that exist in politics due to misperceptions on Twitter?

Significance of the study

This research is limited to investigating the role of social media in political instability. Through

the study, we gain an understanding of how social media networks, including Twitter, influence

political instability.

Literature review

The majority of social media research conducted over the past ten years has indicated a favorable

correlation between offline and online political participation (Nelson & Taneja, 2018. Skoric,

Halaby (2004). Although several ideas have been put forth to explain this beneficial correlation,

the majority place the blame on social networking sites' (SNS) ability to strengthen user

relationships and make mobilizing information available, either through news sharing or

conversation.
Platform impacts are another issue. Numerous studies ignore the variety of each platform by

focusing on a single platform (often Facebook or Twitter) or by combining the usage of different

platforms into a single variable. Existing research, however, demonstrates that social media can

impact political engagement through a variety of mechanisms, including cognitive elaboration,

information gathering, and political dialogue (Gil de Ziga et al., 2012).

Politicians, journalists, and academics are increasingly concerned about online abuse and

decency in political discourse. Although the phenomenon of growing incivility in politics has

been extensively discussed (Margolin, Hannak, A., & Weber 2018), social media communication

has rekindled this discussion by highlighting new factors to take into account because of the

platforms' various affordances individuals (but also bots) can now publicly and anonymously

address remarks to their legislators thanks to the interactive features of websites like Twitter and

Facebook. Social media's potential to improve the interaction between elected officials and their

citizens has long been viewed as a significant step toward a more diverse public sphere (Nelson

& Taneja, 2018).

But in such anonymous settings, the threat of rudeness—and the additional worry of its

normalization—looms large (Margolin, Hannak, A., & Weber 2018), and it can have significant

ramifications for democracy. According to prior studies, incivility has a considerable detrimental

impact on attitudes and behaviors at many different levels.

Theoretical Framework
The proposed theoretical framework for the study of social media influence on political

instability in Pakistan is centered around three main theories. The first theory is that of the

"Political Instability Theory," which examines how certain events and conditions can lead to a

destabilizing effect on governments. This includes factors such as military coups, civil unrest,

economic downturns, and other events that can lead to political instability. The second theory is

the "Social Network Theory," which looks at how networks of people and organizations can

interact in ways that lead to a destabilizing effect on governments. This includes factors such as

propaganda campaigns, the spread of false information, cyber attacks, and other activities that

can destabilize governments. Finally, the third theory is the "Social Media Influence Theory,"

which examines how social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are used

to spread misinformation and influence public opinion in ways that can lead to political

instability.

The Social Media Influence Theory

This theory proposes that social media platforms can be used to spread misinformation and

influence public opinion, leading to political instability. This theory examines how these

platforms are used to create an "echo chamber" of information, allowing extreme views and

radical ideologies to gain traction in the form of fake news and disinformation campaigns. Such

tactics have the potential to have a far-reaching impact on public discourse, ultimately leading to

political unrest. The theory postulates that the more people are exposed to false or misleading

information, the more likely they are to believe it, leading to an increase in polarization and

mistrust of authorities. This can lead to civil unrest and potentially violent riots. Furthermore,

these platforms can be used as a tool for opinion manipulation as well as a platform for hate

speech, which can further heighten political instability.

The Social Media Influence Theory also recognizes the potential of social media to act as a force

for democratic change. By enabling citizens to share their views and opinions with a much larger

audience than ever before, social media can provide an avenue for constructive dialogue and

discussion. However, it is necessary to recognize these platforms' potential for misuse and abuse

to manipulate public opinion and cause political unrest. Therefore, this theory emphasizes the

importance of regulating social media and monitoring its use in order to ensure that it is used

responsibly in a manner that safeguards democracy and prevents instability.

Overall, the Social Media Influence Theory is a useful framework for understanding the potential

implications of social media on political stability. By recognizing how these platforms can be

used to manipulate public opinion and spread misinformation, this theory provides a foundation

to develop effective regulatory measures and promote responsible use of social media platforms

to prevent political unrest.

Research methodology

Following the objectives and research questions developed in the preceding, intended goal to investigate

the role of social media influence on political instability can be met by adopting a methodology and

research design (Amaratunga, D., &  Baldry (2001)). The data collection process involved observation,

surveying, and analyzing tweets related to political instability. However, the current study adopted a

secondary research method for the data collection. The data was assembled from multiple sources,

including Twitter, journals, reports, articles, blogs, case studies, and literature reviews of the research

papers. For this purpose, the study provided a possible review of new horizons in political instability and

misperceptions of existence on social media.

Quantitative research method

According to Creswell (2003), the qualitative method is more explanatory in character, whereas

the quantitative method builds themes to answer questions relating to "why" and "how" from the

data. As was previously stated, the response should be in accordance with the questions,

philosophers' perspectives must be considered, and ultimately, the choice of kind of quantitative

approach has a significant impact on the research. Consequently, the investigation into studies

based on methods and strategies adopted led to the influence of social media on political

instability. But various academics have offered a range of recommendations for conducting

qualitative research. According to Creswell (2007), the process begins with the fundamental

assumptions necessary for qualitative research, a worldview consistent with them, and frequently

a theory that shapes the study.

Reference

Nelson, J. L., & Taneja, H. (2018). The small, disloyal fake news audience: The role of audience
availability in fake news consumption. New media & society, 20(10), 3720-3737.

Halaby, C. N. (2004). Panel models in sociological research: Theory into practice. Annual review
of sociology, 507-544.

Margolin, D. B., Hannak, A., & Weber, I. (2018). Political fact-checking on Twitter: When do
corrections have an effect?. Political Communication, 35(2), 196-219.

Amaratunga, D., and Baldry, D. (2001). Case study methodology as a means of theory
building: performance measurement in facilities management organizations. Work
study.
Atkinson, P., 1997. Narrative turn or blind alley?. Qualitative health research, 7(3),
pp.325-344.

Creswell, J.W. & Poth, C.N., 2016. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing
among five approaches. Sage publications.