Power Structures and Public Opinion in a Deep Sea of Facebook Blue: Regaining the Ideal of an Endless Meeting

Abstract

Internet users in the online sphere arm themselves against politics, commerce and exploitation with a retweet, a like and a share representing their opinion. They voice their opinion publicly and—in contrast to mass media—this opinion can change the world because they share it with the world. However, a transformation in achieving participatory democracy with the use of public opinion implies a transformation in power structures as well. Social networking site Facebook offers the opportunity to reveal a complex power relationship between its users, Facebook, Inc. and businesses in generating revenue. This thesis unravels the battle of “power structures” versus “public opinion” in a deep sea of Facebook blue, with the following research question at the heart of this exploration; to what extent does the public opinion of Facebook users facilitate the realization of participatory democracy in an intricate web of consumerism?