logo
Social Media Networks, Public Opinion Formation

Social Media Networks, Public Opinion Formation

Dr. Abdelhaq Azzouzi
The Saudi Media Forum, in its fourth edition this year, demonstrated a culture of productivity and creativity, bringing together over 2,000 speakers and media professionals from fields such as politics, energy, media, economics, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship.
Participants engaged in 80 discussion panels and knowledge exchanges, along with 11 interactive initiatives and experiences. I was honored to speak at this vibrant intellectual and media event about the impact of new media on public opinion—a topic of great importance, as it shapes viewpoints and influences policies worldwide.
This virtual world has become an inseparable part of daily life for children, teenagers, young adults, ordinary citizens, politicians, statesmen, political parties, nations, business leaders, and corporations. It is now a necessity in mass communication, making it impossible to ignore. It has also disrupted traditional audio-visual media, as influence is no longer limited to elites. Social media has become an open space where numerous actors contribute to shaping public discourse.
Social media platforms have gained widespread acceptance among the public, offering the advantage of instant and real-time interaction with published content. People can now engage with news while sitting at home, on a bus, on an airplane, or in classrooms and university halls. Whoever controls these platforms effectively holds the keys to minds and hearts. Former U.S. President Donald Trump understood this power during his election campaign and allied himself with Elon Musk, the most influential figure in social media. In exchange for Musk's help in running his campaign using this new digital landscape, Trump promised him significant responsibilities and open doors.
Trump recognized social media as a powerful, effective, and reliable tool. It has continued to attract more users across all ages, demographics, and social levels. The result was clear: social media helped Trump deliver his messages to the masses, undermine his opponents, attract Republicans and even many Democrats to his side, and gain unconditional support to implement his policies, even when they defied conventions.
The power of social media lies in its ability to influence and shape public opinion in the political sphere, using a language accessible to all audiences and available in multiple languages—unlike traditional media. However, this influence has created unprecedented social challenges, such as digital addiction. This addiction, similar to other forms of dependency, affects mental health, social relationships, and daily activities. Today, psychiatric clinics are filled with patients suffering from digital addiction. If sociologists were to conduct field studies, they would likely find a significant rise in such cases, highlighting a serious issue that requires precise strategies and policies to combat and mitigate its effects.
Moreover, social media platforms are difficult to monitor and regulate. Governments lack the necessary infrastructure to fully control digital content or shut down these networks. The influence of social media extends beyond domestic affairs to impact international strategic environments. Several European countries, including Norway, France, Germany, and Spain, have recently voiced strong concerns over Elon Musk's interference in their electoral processes. They accuse him of using social media to manipulate political dynamics, promote regressive ideologies, and incite hate speech and misinformation within their internal political arenas.
For example, Musk has made public endorsements encouraging votes for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Amid Germany's political struggles, the AfD has gained significant momentum in recent legislative elections. Similarly, far-right parties across Europe recently gathered in Madrid, with Musk's overt and covert support.
The event saw the participation of prominent right-wing figures, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Austria's far-right Freedom Party, France's National Rally led by Marine Le Pen, and the Dutch Freedom Party led by Geert Wilders.
During the forum, distinguished journalist Rima Maktabi asked me about issues related to digital begging, online delinquency, and misinformation. I responded by emphasizing the challenge of balancing freedom of expression with the need to uphold universally accepted values. This involves regulating and monitoring social media content in a way that aligns with common human principles. However, this is not a task for a single country or organization. Instead, it requires strengthening regional and international alliances to negotiate effectively with major global tech companies and establish a more accountable digital ecosystem.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Oman to host US-Iran nuclear talks on Sunday: FM - Region
Oman to host US-Iran nuclear talks on Sunday: FM - Region

Al-Ahram Weekly

time9 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Oman to host US-Iran nuclear talks on Sunday: FM - Region

Oman said Thursday it will host a sixth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran over the weekend amid escalating tensions between the long-time foes. "I am pleased to confirm the 6th round of Iran US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday," Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X. Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. The announcement by Oman came just hours after President Donald Trump said US personnel were being moved from the potentially "dangerous" Middle East. Trump also reiterated that he would not allow Iran to have an atomic bomb amid mounting speculation that Israel could strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran threatened Wednesday to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out. Trump had until recently expressed optimism about the talks, but said in an interview published Wednesday that he was "less confident" about reaching a deal. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails. The US president says he has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off striking Iran's nuclear facilities to give the talks a chance, but has increasingly signalled that he is losing patience. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

US police make arrests in downtown LA during nighttime curfew - International
US police make arrests in downtown LA during nighttime curfew - International

Al-Ahram Weekly

time20 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

US police make arrests in downtown LA during nighttime curfew - International

Downtown Los Angeles was largely calm overnight into Wednesday, with police arresting at least 25 people for violating a curfew after a fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Heavily armed security officers, including several riding horses, patrolled near government buildings, while men boarded up storefronts after dark on Tuesday to protect against vandalism. Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities. The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor. One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest. "I don't think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It's whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence," she said Tuesday. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew -- meant to stop vandalism and looting -- was in effect within one square mile (2.5 square kilometres) of the city's more-than-500 square mile area from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT). That zone was off-limits for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added. Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin. On Tuesday, in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven, dozens of demonstrators waved American and Mexican flags and held signs against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that has ramped up arrests and deportations of migrants under Trump. "You got people that are being arrested on the street by (immigration) agents that don't wear badges, wear masks... it makes me really angry," 26-year-old protester Brendon Terra told AFP. Breaking curfew The Los Angeles protests again turned ugly Tuesday night, but an hour into the curfew, only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave. "Multiple groups continue to congregate" within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday. "Those groups are being addressed, and mass arrests are being initiated." Police arrested at least 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson. At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller groups have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti, and smash windows. Overnight Monday, 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days. 'Provide protection' Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control, even though local law enforcement authorities insisted they could handle the unrest. A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday. Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and provide protection to federal officers during immigration enforcement operations. The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million. Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard "to locations across the state to ensure peace & order" after solidarity protests. Behaving like 'a tyrant' In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day, with tourists thronging Hollywood Boulevard, children attending school and commuter traffic choking streets. But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump painted a darker picture. "What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty," the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg. "We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy." California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump's shock militarisation of the city was the behaviour of "a tyrant, not a president." In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing. US law largely prevents the use of the military as a police force -- absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused. The president "is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilising Marines," said law professor Frank Bowman. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:

Trump's China ‘truce' is nothing of the sort
Trump's China ‘truce' is nothing of the sort

Egypt Independent

timea day ago

  • Egypt Independent

Trump's China ‘truce' is nothing of the sort

CNN — At long last, the United States has reached a trade agreement with China. Again. After a testy war of words that escalated into a tit-for-tat restriction on key exports, American and Chinese officials this week met in the United Kingdom with a singular goal: Find a way to agree to what they had agreed to a month earlier in Geneva. It appears the countries' top trade negotiators have accomplished that. On Tuesday night, both Chinese and Trump officials said they had agreed to a framework to implement the consensus they reached in May, and the trade truce would be sent to their respective leaders for their approval. Businesses, consumers and Wall Street investors will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief: Burdensome tariffs have raised significant anxiety, and easing trade barriers between the world's two largest economies should lower costs and help inject some much-needed certainty into an economy that has been demonstrating some signs of strain. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said in a Truth Social post that a 'deal' with China has been completed. 'Our deal with China is done,' Trump said in his all-caps social media post. Trump said both countries agreed to ease export restrictions, per the prior arrangement agreed upon in Geneva in May. The president also confirmed on Wednesday in his post that the deal included 'full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China.' But in reality, the trade truce – if that's really what was accomplished this time around – is mostly just a return to the already-tense state of affairs from before April 2. Tariff rates from both countries remain historically high, and significant export restrictions remain in place. The United States has not opened its doors to China's autos, nor is it going to sell its high-end AI chips anytime soon. And, in Trump's parlance, China isn't treating America much more 'fairly' after this agreement than it did before. A much-needed détente Without a doubt, a trade agreement was much needed. After Trump's April 2 'Liberation Day' announcements, tensions ran so high that trade between the United States and China came to an effective halt. A 145% tariff on most Chinese imports made the math impossible for US businesses to buy virtually anything from China, America's second-largest trading partner. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, America's chief negotiator in both trade talks with China, said previous tariff levels were 'unsustainable.' On May 12, delegates from China and the United States announced they would significantly roll back their historically high tariffs on one another. Economists pared back their recession forecasts, and moribund consumer confidence rebounded. But Trump and his administration in recent weeks grew increasingly hostile toward China, accusing the country of breaking the promises it made in mid-May. China similarly said the United States failed to live up to its obligations under the Geneva agreement. The Trump administration had expected China to lift restrictions on rare-earth materials that are critical components for a wide range of electronics, but China has only very slowly allowed them to return to the open market, causing intense displeasure inside the Trump administration and prompting a series of export restrictions on US goods to China, three administration officials told CNN last month. China has a virtual monopoly on rare earths, without which cars, jet engines, contrast dye used in MRI machines and some cancer drugs cannot be manufactured. Trump told reporters Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to allow exports of rare earth minerals products to begin, but industry analysts said the crucial materials had not been flowing to the United States as they once had. If both countries satisfy the terms of the agreement this time around, the de-escalation should prevent the direst warnings about the trade war, including potential pandemic-level shortages. Back to reality Despite the good vibes, the United States and China remain in an economic standoff. The Trump administration – and the Biden administration before it – have maintained that Chinese companies are more than happy to sell inexpensive products to the US market but that China places significant restrictions on US businesses operating in the country and encourages Chinese companies to steal American intellectual property. China has long disputed those claims. Trump, in his first term, raised tariffs on China based on national security concerns. Biden maintained many of those tariffs and doubled down on some. But the second Trump administration has taken trade barriers to an unprecedented level. It has placed a 10% universal tariff on virtually all goods coming into the United States. It put in place an additional 20% tariff on Chinese goods in an effort to get China to take action to reduce the flow of fentanyl over the US border. Both of those extraordinary tariffs remain in place on most Chinese goods, with the exception of some products like electronics. In addition, the White House closed the so-called de minimis exemption that allowed packages with a value of under $800 to come into the United States tariff-free. Hefty new tariffs remain in place on small packages, undermining the business models of Chinese ecommerce giants Shein and Temu. The compounding tariffs create significant trade barriers with America's second-largest trading partner, raising prices for American businesses and consumers with no easy fixes or clear market alternatives. Some gigantic companies, such as Apple, have complex supply chains that can withstand some of the price pressures. But even Apple, which has said it would ship most US iPhones from India as Chinese tariffs rise, said it would face a $900 million quarterly cost increase because of tariffs – at their current levels, not at the sky-high 145% rate. Other businesses, such as Boeing, have been completely shut out of China's market. Even without any tariffs or other formal barriers by China on purchases of US aircraft, Boeing has made virtually no sales in China, the world's largest for aircraft purchases, since 2019. So a trade truce may be better than the alternative – if it lasts this time.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store