Political participation and technology: Continuities and discontinuities in the Southern Cone and Brazil
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Abstract
This chapter investigates the relationships between technology and political participation in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay-four neighboring countries in the southern part of the Americas. While Uruguay and Chile boast more digitized societies, Brazil and Argentina’s size and geopolitical influence create distinct technological landscapes. The adoption and cultural components of technological innovation are influenced by economic, political, and media systems, resulting in customized political outcomes. Digital technologies, such as mobile communication and social media, intervene in processes of political participation, polarization, social unrest, and other phenomena through algorithmic biases and trend detection mechanisms. Examining various forms of technologically mediated political participation, including computational propaganda, misinformation, digital activism, and digital surveillance, this chapter explores continuities and discontinuities that define the digital political ecosystems in these countries.