Did social media change voters' perception in the 2020 Internet-centric general election?

Abstract

This study intends to investigate the role of social media in shaping voters’ perception in the Singapore General Election 2020 (GE2020), with careful consideration given to the context, conditions and methods of campaigning in that pandemic-ridden year. Perception refers to voters’ judgment or opinions of the candidates and the saliency of the various issues discussed over the campaigning period. Social media refers to social networking platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Through a series of interviews with two respondents from each of the following age groups: First-time Voters, Other Youths, Sandwiched Generation and Boomers, it is found that social media has a greater impact in shaping the perception of First-time Voters, while the opposite was found for the Boomers and those who are politically disengaged. This study also discovered that social media was useful in shaping how voters view the candidates - influencing perception via viral content rather than the candidates’ social media presence.