The Role of Social Media in Strengthening or Weakening Democracy in Indonesia

Adinda Farrah Dwi Citra (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Dzaky Muhammad Dzakir Damanik (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Kinan Shofia Aimy (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Rida Syafiyyah (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Taqiyan Azzarah Warits Al Haqq (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)

Diplomasi : Jurnal Demokrasi, Pemerintahan dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026)

Social media causes several problems in the democratic process. These include the spread of misinformation, political polarization, and the spread of hate speech. The purpose of this study is to analyze the positive and negative impacts of social media on public participation in the digital era and the democratic process. The data collection technique used in this study was a literature review method, analyzing written sources and selecting those relevant to the three main topics of social media, globalization, and democracy. The sources were reviewed and explained in narrative form. The results of the study indicate that social media has a significant influence on democracy. Social media plays a positive role as a means for people to channel their aspirations, provide criticism, and provide suggestions. Social media also has negative impacts such as the spread of fake news and hate speech.