Role of Social Media Manipulation in Promoting Democratic Decay: The Case of Poland

Abstract

Recently, the scope of freedom in political systems has been undergoing considerable erosion. This phenomenon also refers to contemporary democratic systems, including those of long-standing and well-established traditions as well as to those that are often referred to as young transforming democracies. The study is focused on the erosion of democracy observed in the CEE countries based on Visegrad Group (V4) states, with particular consideration of Poland. A relationship between populism and very rapid development of social media is also emphasized, along with its dysfunctional features that are applied to form filter bubbles and social polarisation. The Author points out a correlation that favours restrictions imposed on the freedom of the political system in Poland and the development of right-wing populism with a negative aspect of the functioning of social media.