Populism and Public Opinion in a Digital World

Populism in a digital world gains visibility and has a substantial influence in the formation of public opinions. Various digital platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) are available for populist leaders and organizations to disseminate their messages and mobilize the broad support they seek. Both populist and business leaders adopt cocreation practices by utilizing digital data that are generated through automatic and AI-enabled innovations. The pressure to control antisocial and fake messages through these digital platforms are also becoming intense in recent years. There has been serious discussion on respecting free exchanges of ideas and at the same time affirming social norms within the legitimate boundaries. Factors that influence public opinion in a digital world (i.e., geopolitical, sociocultural, and econo-technological) are examined and presented.