La digitalización de la conversación pública: Redes sociales, afectividad política y democracia

Abstract

This article deals with the impact of new communications technologies on democracy. It does so by analysing the processes by which public opinion is being partly digitalized - on account of the decisive importance that the quality of public opinion possesses for the quality of democracy. The focus is on the effects of citizens’ usage of social media and other digital platforms. Citizens themselves are mainly considered as affective subjects influenced by their own emotions and preconscious sensations. Social networks turn out to be intrinsically affective technologies, whose strong influence on political socialization and mobilization forces us to reconsider current understandings of actually existing liberal democracies.