Social Media and its Vital Importance in Shaping Sociopolitical Engagement in Guatemala

From the Arab Spring movement in 2011 to recent movements such as the Hong Kong protests and Black Lives Matter, social media has proven to be critical to transnational communication, activism mobilization, and raising awareness on related issues. As agents of social justice and democracy, these platforms serve as useful tools. Nevertheless, a further discussion has arisen on the negative side regarding problematic companies such as Facebook, which allowed a massive data breach that influenced the 2016 U.S. election and provoked scandals regarding the safe handling of individual privacy and data use. Yet, little is known of the significant role social media plays in democratically developing regions like Guatemala, operating as a tool that spreads crucial information about ongoing political events and consequently increases civic engagement. 

According to the data portal, a tool that provides statistics and reports on the internet and social media usage, Guatemala has witnessed a steady increase in social media usage by 1.4 million (+18%) between 2020 and 2021, showing similar reports since 2015, a year in which social movements shook the status quo by overthrowing the ruling president. By providing platforms to communicate and organize, social media has played a crucial role in strengthening activism and civic participation in Guatemalan society.

The aspects and interfaces that social media offer make it easier for individuals to form civic communities. User-friendly interfaces, fast and efficient globalized reach, cheap communication, and interactive options - to name a few - come as attractive and handy qualities for creating dialogue spaces. Providing users with fluid interactions supports a collective identity and may establish the sense of community necessary for mobilizing people not just online, but also offline. A study conducted by Ryan Salzman, a Global communications specialist, employed data from 8 Latin American countries to analyze Social media use and the development of democratic attitudes in Latin America, which revealed strong and positive correlations between social media use for political purposes and democratic attitudes such as tolerance, supporting political action, and support for democracy. 

Democracy itself does not work without individuals whose values are not pinpointed to the core ideas of democracy. Regions that are walking towards democracy maturity require the adoption of democratic values at the individual level. These values can be acquired through the engagement of political and social discourse online, in dialogue communities, and where public debate and participation are promoted.

In recent years, major protest events in Guatemala demanding respect for democracy have only been possible due to the existence of social media platforms. In September 2015, 158 parliamentarians were to vote on whether the then President, Otto Perez Molina’s immunity should be removed and face charges of being involved with a corruption ring called “La Linea”. The events went viral on the most predominant media apps used in the country, such as Whatsapp, Facebook, and Twitter.

Calls to action and awareness were shared, along with infographics and useful visuals that were highly informative, such as the procedures involved in dismissing someone from the office. Following this viral spread of information and massive engagement in social media, people moved their social activism to street manifestations. This made it one of the most attended and successful protests in Guatemalan history, and the president accused of corruption resigned the following day and was officially arrested one day later. This historical event highlights the significance that social media represents for a country that is building democracy, giving access to millions of people to organize manifestations, disseminate crucial information on which the future of the country depends, and raise local and global awareness about ongoing events.

Conversely, social media also poses a pulsating threat to developing democracies. Disinformation can be easily spread through the facilitation of large numbers of contacts, and the multiple channels available for users that social media provides. For example, there are campaigns whose purpose is to discredit protests and civil rights social movements that have been a key force in manifesting against highly corrupt governments. In the publication "Social Media and Democracy" by Joshua Tucker, published by Cambridge University Press, another alarming factor is the increasing polarization of civil society via echo chambers and filter bubbles. 

Algorithms create filter bubbles in which individuals are only exposed to information that they seem to like and engage with, compromising their exposure to different types of content and inhibiting the critical thinking necessary to form solid democratic values and possibilities for civic engagement. Hate speech is another consequence of the freedom that social media provides to its users, as it allows the spread of all speech, whether protected or not. This can lead to violence and conflicts on a wider scale, compromising safety, threatening the cohesion of a democratic society, and the protection of human rights, which are fundamental to building a stable political system.

There are vast studies on the role of media platforms in Western democracies, the pros and cons regarding their effectiveness and influence in global politics. One such study is the aforementioned book "Social Media and Democracy," which discusses the development in the context of Western democracies, from disinformation to hate speech to political advertising and situates recent developments in the context of key policy questions. It is undeniable that some of the negative effects apply to Guatemalan society as well. 

Nonetheless, I consider social media to be a crucial tool in shaping the country's socio-political engagement. Social media is discursive, inviting engagement and deliberation where individuals can develop an appreciation for competing ideas and individuals and institutions advocating those counter positions. It is in this sense that political discussions are encouraged. Guatemalan individuals can create dialogue spaces in these platforms, which are indispensable for a maturing democracy where society members need to form individual civic values to actively participate in the political sphere.