In modern society, various technologies are of particular importance. They help speed up the process of information dissemination. Therefore, such innovative technology as the Internet can be particularly effective for the political sphere. Hence, this technology can help disseminate an agitation campaign or study the population and its needs and requirements. Such information technology as the Internet can have a social, cultural, or global effect and can be an instrument in the spreading of misinformation about the election.
In this work the internet will be examined through four lenses: history, humilities, natural and applied sciences, and social. It is emphasized that “political parties and actors can directly address their voters through their websites and use online communication platforms in election campaigns for their political goals” (Kutlu, 2018, p. 23). Therefore, Internet can help in spreading information about the candidate’s political campaign. However, recently there are cases when fake information is distributed before the elections. So, in 2020, “a tweet from a conservative media personality, claimed that more than 1000 mail-in ballots had been discovered in a dumpster in Sonoma County in California” (Miller, 2020, para. 1). This event in the political sphere caused a lot of unrest in society due to the assumption about election fraud.
Natural and applied sciences lens should also be considered regarding the use of Internet technology in politics. Hence, many scientific studies and methods, such as surveys, experiments, or literary reviews, analyze this innovation and help determine how to use it most effectively. It can be said that, in this case, there are no barriers to considering the Internet objectively since it is a platform on which people get the opportunity to express their personal opinions. Moreover, it is related to the physical or material world in that it affects the individuals who use it. Thus, the knowledge gained in it is reflected in innovations and changes taking place in the world.
It is also worth noting that in the humanities lens, Internet technologies provide new opportunities to change people’s behavior. It mainly concerns attitudes toward politics and political companies, which affect the culture in society. As in the proposed event, fake data on social networks contributed to the formation of the opinion that the elections were dishonest. Therefore, they gain the opportunity to share with voters the activities they undertake constantly.
Such technology as the Internet affects everyone, especially those for whom it is a significant part of life. This factor can be attributed to social structures and systems since the political sphere uses it to function and take action. Internet technologies are a unique source of information about events happening worldwide. Research shows that “the internet has displaced other media with greater news content, such as radio and newspapers, thereby decreasing voter turnout, most notably among less-educated and younger individuals.” (Gavazza et al., 2019, p. 2092). Regarding interpersonal relationships, it promotes building connections between people and forming similar or distinctive opinions.
In conclusion, this work aimed to study how such technology as the Internet affects the political sphere of human activity. Thus, using the example of false information about election fraud, it can be concluded that it has a strong influence on people’s opinion. Despite the fact that this was unconfirmed information, users believed in the data of the social network and unrest arose. Therefore, it helps to create an opinion about politics among the population. Thus, the Internet contributes to developing the political field of functioning and promoting the political activity.
References
A short story of the internet. (2020). Science and Media Museum.
Gavazza, A., Nardotto, M., & Valletti, T. (2019). Internet and politics: Evidence from UK local elections and local government policies. The Review of Economic Studies, 86(5), 2092-2135.
Kutlu, A. (2018). The internet and politics: Transformation of political communication. International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, 23-34.
Miller, G. (2020). As U.S. election nears, researchers are following the trail of fake news. Science.