Social Media In Brazil Essay

In Brazil, the use of social media is increasing and has transformed the way that citizens address social issues, access and share information, and interact with others. In this literature review, I am going to use the ideas of Bastos (2014), Horst (2011) and Margetts (2016) to examine the extent to which social media has influenced political communication, activism, society, and culture. The first article looks at the relationship between political discussions on social media and offline activity. The second article examines how social and technological media impact Brazilian culture. The third article investigates the power of social information and the impact on public opinion.

In order to understand the relationship between political …show more content…
Horst (2011) uses the term ‘networked sociality’ to refer to the relationship between new media/technologies and the influence upon social systems (p. 450). Prior research suggested that the internet provided access to platforms that allowed for Brazilians to engage in political discussions between each other, other communities, and even other nations (Fragoso, 2006; McCann 2008; p. 451). Brazilians used the internet to reflect upon, compare, and challenge social conditions within their own communities. Prior to the internet, older technology limited or prevented these types of activities. However, blogging is one medium that facilitated political discussions and the transfer of information from one individual to another. Not only did Brazilians use the internet to share information between each other, they also used technology and newer media to communicate with organizations. For example, the newspaper O Globo provided an anonymous forum through which citizens could report crime-related activities (p. 452). Prior research also revealed that the internet provided citizen journalists with a more effective means of communication with citizens. Overmundo is an example of an internet channel that citizen journalists used to present information about environmental issues such as pollution to citizens (SIG-III,2007; McCann 2008, p. 452). Building upon prior research, Horst suggests that Brazilian’s use of media illustrates a culture that values connectivity, freedom of speech, inclusivism, and accessibility. Horst argues that new media and technology have transformed the way in which people interact with each other, access information, and are able to impact social change by using the internet and various channels (p. 450-455). However, Horst acknowledges that the internet has not been completely transformative because