The Effect of social media on political opinion of people: An analytical study based on Facebook users

Abstract

Attitudes, ideas, opinion and political behavior of social media users has severely affected by social medias. Most of the political parties are using Facebook for their advertising campaign. It is a problem whether all the facts published by political parties on Facebook are true or not. Also politician may use Facebook to achieve their short slightest political purposes. Researchers have discovered that government is launching surveys via Facebook before executing government policies. Research Problem was whether Facebook will effect to change the political opinion of a person. Purpose of this research was to study the effect by Facebook on political opinion of a person. 575 of Facebook Users who age between twenty and thirty have chosen from Monaragala district under simple Purposive Sampling method to collect data for the study through online questionnaire. Their profiles have observed for further confirmation. Accordingly, it is recognized that 63.89% of them were have not stable opinion on political situation. 75% of them stated that their opinion on politics have changed due to the posts on Facebook. 30.56% of this 75% stated that the reason for this as the disclosing fraudulent activities of politicians by Facebook pages. 30.56% from the total sample has posted posts which included opinions on political on their Facebook profiles. 38.89% from total sample stated that they have liked such Facebook pages. Therefore, social medias such as Facebook is making a severe effect on changing the political opinion of a person. It is necessary to take preventive actions for misleading posts on Facebook. According to there revelations, it is necessary to take preventive actions for illegal misuse on Facebook