The Role of Digital Media in Shaping Consumer Behaviour and Public Opinion in The Digital Era

The role of digital media in people's lives has dramatically increased and transformed the way information reaches consumers, individuals' ways of communication, development of opinion, attitude and decision-making.Due to social media, websites, news from Internet, video sharing services, and digital media advertising it is possible to transfer content and information fast and constantly.This research paper is going to examine the role of digital media and its impact on shaping consumers' behaviour and forming of public opinion in the age of digital media.Research will examine the impact of social media content, online reviews, digital influencers, digital media advertising, algorithms and user generated content on people's decisions, preferences, attitude and opinions.Moreover, research will analyse the positive impact of digital media and its positive effects which are raising awareness, information availability, enabling better decisions and encouraging individuals' participation.In addition to this, challenges related to digital media are mentioned and described including mis-information, false information, biased contents, targeted advertising and manipulation.Qualitative research was conducted based on secondary sources of data such as books, research articles, reports and newspaper articles.It has been found out that digital media has significant impact both on consumers' decisions and public opinion.Therefore, proper digital communication, critical thinking and media literacy are crucial for making decisions in digital era.