Miira Hill at Workshop on Social Media Research and Democracy

Dr. Miira Hill from the DCID Lab discussed the impact of social media on democracy with leading German researchers. The group is working on a consensus paper and stronger networking within the research field.

ZeMKI member Dr. Miira Hill participated in an interdisciplinary workshop organized by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Bundeswehr University Munich, TU Dresden, and the Max Planck Institute for Research on Educational Development on November 7, 2025. The focus was on developing a consensus paper on the impact of social media on democratic processes.

The workshop brought together leading German researchers in social media research to synthesize the current state of research, identify research gaps, and develop pathways for stronger networking within the field.

The discussion revealed that social media significantly shapes public debates and political opinion formation. Distortions emerge between digital and analog opinion landscapes, and commercial platform logics amplify affective polarization. At the same time, knowledge about concrete mechanisms and causalities remains limited, partly due to restricted access to platform data.

Participants emphasized the importance of closer collaboration in a highly fragmented and politicized research field. Early in 2026, the workshop results will be consolidated and prepared for political decision-makers. Additional exchange formats are planned to better coordinate the field and strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue.