Based upon the article “Habermas and the Public Sphere” the public sphere is defined as a virtual or imaginary community which does not necessarily exist in any identifiable space. Described in its ideal form it will generate opinions and attitudes which serve to affirm or provide a check on the affairs of the state. The argument within the public sphere is that If the citizenry is to play a role in a democracy then it needs access to an institutionally guaranteed forum in which to express their opinions and to question established power. The way in which the public sphere operates has shifted through changes and advancements within society. Prior to social media citizens main sources for political news were through newspapers and media networks. This created a deformation within the public sphere through the advance of social welfare, the growth of cultural industries, and the evolution of large private interests through media.

However, the way we view and share news as well as participate in deliberation has shifted with the growth of social media. Social media effects the public sphere both negativity and positivity. As stated in the article “The Public Sphere and the New Media” by Christopher Neal we must recognize that this new media has created both strong and weak ties amongst the public sphere. Social media can create weak ties due to acts of filter bubbles and algorithms. As described in the Sunstein article the information we are exposed to is often filtered and personalized to support our biases and moral viewpoints. This leads citizens to develop more extremist views when they are constantly exposed to information that supports their agenda with little exposure to differing opinions and perceptions. However, taking into account the situation of the public sphere before the emergence of social media we can allow ourselves optimism. Social media has had a large impact on the public sphere over the course of the past decade by creating various movements across the nation. Today is the anniversary of the Parkland shooting that occurred last year. After this tragic event students from Parkland were able to reach the nation by creating the March for Our Lives hashtag on various forms of social media. This created a strong pull for public participation and activism on gun regulations that provided a check on state affairs. Various other movements such as “Me Too” and “Black Lives Matter” have swept social media. Social media can create a community of dialogue of public opinion, but it does not come without a cost. I do not feel that the ideal public sphere will ever be fully achieved.