Topics

• Digital divide definition(s)
• Voting and how the Internet and/or social media influence (positively or not) political participation
• (Social) media as tools for politicians to manipulate ideas
• The links between digital divide and political participation
• Social/Political bots, and their interaction with public opinion
• Tools (apps, plugins) to avoid biases, mitigate news reading (link to filter bubbles)
• Who uses the Internet for politics
• Political influence of social media / CEOs
• Parallel between access to the Internet and access to electricity or other technologies
• Freedom of speech and access to information
• The effects of social media on political behavior
• The inequalities and limitations of democracy at the digital age
• The effects of COVID-19 on digital divide
• The links between the use of social media and political opinions
• Learning to use digital technologies
• Use of online tools by political parties
• Voting advice applications (VAAs)

Questions for discussion

• What is/are "digital divide(s)"?
• What are the political consequences of digital divide?
• What are the democratic issues of digital divide?
• How to eradicate digital divide(s)?
• Is knowing how to use digital devices and the Internet enough, or do we need to learn how those things work? (car metaphor)
• Is access to the Internet a human right?
• Should we continue in the direction of building political institutions based on the Internet?
• ...