An Interpretive Phenomenological Study on the Impact of Social Media Discourse of Political Campaigns on Latinos

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the impact of social media discourse of political campaigns on Latino voters’ political views using an interpretative phenomenological design. The research questions were designed to draw out participants’ lived experiences as voters who are part of the Latino population related to the impact of social media discourse of political campaigns on their political views and support for various candidates. Participants were citizens residing in the United States, politically engaged, self-identified as Latinos, and active on at least one social media account that reflects their political discourses within the past six months. Four primary themes were identified: political engagement in social media, agreement with using social media politically, slogan effectiveness, and Latino perspectives on social media use. Participants were divided on the benefits and drawbacks of political social media, citing that it drives division, but people need a platform to be heard. Slogans were found to incite negative responses, possibly because they appeal to dominant cultural interests and highlight the ‘otherness’ of minorities. There are major implications for regulators seeking to minimize the harm social media can do to the political process. Further research into the impact of social media political behavior on the voting choices of Latino citizens should be conducted to account for differences in the lived experiences and further expand the knowledge of how political campaigns can work harder to include people living in communities outside the dominant culture.