Affective Digital Communication: A Force or Disruption for Democracy?

Emotions are an important factor in politics. However, their role within the digital context is still under intense investigation. How, via electronic communication, emotions could potentially strengthen or challenge democratic processes is a broad question that the panel aims to ask. The questions concerning emotions are especially substantial in the context of the polarization processes, often accumulated around strongly emotionally loaded issues.
The panel brings together research exploring the strategic employment of emotions in digital communication performed by diverse political actors, media and citizens. It aims to depict the role that an emotionally charged message plays in fostering democratic behaviour and enhancing engagement with politics. To paint a broad context, the papers will explore varied case studies, visual materials and traditional text. Together, the proposed studies provide insights into the intersection of politics, campaigning, religion, and emotions, revealing how affective digital content is employed to interact with the public to grasp its attention and possibly encourage engagement.