The Impact of Social Media on Political Participation and Public Opinion in Contemporary Societies

This study examined the influence of social media on political participation and public opinion among active social media users in Lagos State, Nigeria, against a rapidly evolving digital landscape shaped by generative artificial intelligence (AI), algorithmic deepfakes, and the 2025 withdrawal of third-party fact-checking by major social media platforms. Guided by the Spiral of Silence Theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and collected data from 397 active social media users aged 18–45 years using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests, Weighted Mean Score (WMS), and Simpson's Diversity Index to test the three stated hypotheses and assess the concentration or fragmentation of respondents' opinions. The findings revealed that social media is significantly associated with increased political participation (χ² = 49.44, df = 3, p < .001), with 35.3% of respondents reporting greater involvement in political activities and a Weighted Mean Score of 2.84 indicating a positive engagement tendency. Social media was also found to significantly influence public opinion (χ² = 108.88, df = 3, p < .001), with 50.4% of respondents believing that it disseminates more misleading than accurate political information. Furthermore, respondents identified misinformation (52.8%) and political polarization (25.2%) as the major challenges associated with political communication on social media (χ² = 191.71, df = 3, p < .001), while a Simpson's Diversity Index of 0.63 indicated a moderately concentrated pattern of concern. Consequently, all three null hypotheses were rejected. Respondents identified stronger regulation, improved fact-checking mechanisms, and enhanced media literacy as the most effective strategies for mitigating these challenges. The study concludes that, among active social media users in Lagos State, social media remains an important platform for political engagement; however, its positive contribution can be sustained through greater platform transparency, effective regulatory oversight, and continuous investment in digital and media literacy, particularly in an era of AI-generated content and increasing online misinformation