Is digital media causing the end of free and fair elections?
I can evaluate the positive and negative impacts of digital media within free and fair elections.
Is digital media causing the end of free and fair elections?
I can evaluate the positive and negative impacts of digital media within free and fair elections.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Free and fair elections allow people to vote for their representatives without fear, manipulation, or interference.
- Social media likely impacted voting beliefs and behaviour during the UK 2024 election, both positively and negatively.
- Social media shaped public opinion, amplified political messages and provided a platform for debate.
- Influencers can increase voter engagement, raise awareness of political issues and encourage public debate.
- Influencers can reduce informed decision-making, spread misinformation and raise concerns about financial motivation.
Keywords
Election - the voting process to select a person for a public position
Engagement - the level of interest, attention, or involvement someone shows in an activity, interaction, or relationship
Influence - the power to affect or change someone’s thoughts, actions, or decisions
Common misconception
Pupils might believe that infleuncers can only ever positively influence.
Although influencers can have positive impacts, when posting about politics there can also be negative impacts if they are posting incorrect information or simplifying issues.
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: Is digital media causing the end of free and fair elections?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: Is digital media causing the end of free and fair elections?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How is social media changing our view of democracy? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the process of choosing leaders by voting
openness and honesty in sharing information
the ability to have an effect on others' opinions or decisions
online platforms where people share and engage with content
makes it easier for echo chambers to be created
helps ensure the credibility of information
allows candidates to engage directly with voters