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This article is the winning entry in the 2025 FT Schools Blog Competition and is run in a partnership with the Political Studies Association and Soutout UK. Learn more about the free school access program here.
Will social media help save democracy? This question brings three important factors: social media, help save, and democracy. Let’s take them in reverse order.
Democracy, even its etymological roots, is inseparable from people. One of the habits I have taken from the French education system is partly to impress teachers, but mostly to better understand ideas – looking at the origins of words.
Democracy comes from the Greek democratia: demonstrations, people meaning people, and kratos, meaningful power. The ancient Greek Agoras – a vibrant, chaotic market filled with debate, gossip and intrigue – is widely seen as a cradle of democratic practice. There is no reason to imagine that modern democracy should be barren, polite, or conflict-free. On the contrary, democracy thrives with pluralism, controversy and active engagement.
In most of my generation, and in the ever-growing segment of voters, that engagement happens online. Social media is now a new Agora. It is difficult to imagine today’s functional democracy that is not related to these digital spaces. Many politicians, activists and civic leaders recognized this early and embraced social media as the default political field.
Blog competition
Students aged 16-19 around the world were invited to submit a short blog in partnership with Soutout UK to run the annual FT Schools Competition along with the Political Studies Association. This year’s question was “Can social media help save democracy?” The competition was reviewed by FT Stephen Bush, Soutout UK Matteo Bergamini, and PSA Ana Nunes.
But does democracy really need to save? Before diving into the Grand Rescue task, we should ask: What exactly are we trying to save? And from what? With all its flaws, democracy continues to be the most successful system that humanity has devised to achieve collective goals through consent. Yes, it is under pressure worldwide. Yes, it shaking in several areas. However, given the option, most people around the world still choose to live in democracy.
Ironically, it is often the ones who lack that choice that are the ones who are most eager to stick to. They know firsthand what the alternatives look like. There is a calm paradox. In democracy, knowing about a life without freedom is a blessing and a blind spot. Luckily, it can obscure the reality that freedom is not universal and often comes elsewhere at a great cost of human costs.
And what about all of this social media? Social media probably requires more democracy than democracy needs social media. In authoritarian countries, social media is often restricted or prohibited. Let’s be clear: they are not democratic.
In contrast, the content mitigation and transparency requirements implemented in many democracies are regulatory measures rather than censorship actions. These rules are intended to protect democratic discourse rather than silence them. Democracy does not systematically block platforms, monitor citizens, or flood public squares with national propaganda. These freedoms really allow social media to flourish.
Today, what democracy needs most is rescue from external enemies, and while both threats are real, they are to regain mojo. We need to regain our voice in modern Agora. Social media is a good place to start with all of its flaws.
Laura Barani is a student at a school in Taipei Europe
