Under the Flags оf Digital Political Agitation

Abstract

Communication between politicians and citizens is increasingly transferred to the topos of digital platforms. Serious funds are invested for advertising, political agitation, groups and pages are created in which opponents are attacked. The publication is focused on processes and tools for political agitation in social networks such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram. Case studies from Bulgaria and the world are analyzed. Various quantitative and qualitative methods are used - analysis and synthesis of literature, case studies, working with data, involved observation, etc. Case studies show that the public space is increasingly saturated with messages that carry misinformation, conspiratorial narratives, division provoked by fear and hatred, and undermine trust in traditional institutions and authorities. The text proposes the idea that one of the tools for counteracting these social phenomena is the construction of collective immunity from knowledge and skills to improve the digital and information literacy of citizens.

Keywords

• political communications
• social media
• disinformation
• media literacy
• elections