Year 10 - Citizenship
What did the UK Undercover Voters project tell us?
How is social media changing our view of democracy?
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils consider the impact that new forms of media are having on democracy using case studies from the UK and India.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why the UK Undercover Voters project was carried out and what its conclusions were.
Key Notes
- The UK Undercover Voters project explored how algorithms target political content based on online profiles.
- Targeted content may influence voting by reinforcing existing beliefs, spreading misinformation & shaping opinion.
- Algorithms can create echo chambers, limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints & making critical thinking challenging.
- Misinformation and disinformation tailored to personal beliefs could affect voting behavior.
Vocabulary To Learn
- investigate: to look into something carefully to learn more about it and find out the facts
- targeted: directed at a specific person or group
- algorithms: set of instructions or steps that a computer follows to solve a problem or make decisions
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Algorithms only show people what they want to see, they don't really affect how people vote.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The UK Undercover Voters project explored how algorithms target political content based on online profiles. Targeted content may influence voting by reinforcing existing beliefs, spreading misinformation & shaping opinion.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'investigate'
to look into something carefully to learn more about it and find out the facts.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Algorithms only show people what they want to see, they don't really affect how people vote. Correction: Algorithms can reinforce existing beliefs and limit exposure to different views. The UK Undercover Voters project showed that targeted content could influence opinions and spread misinformation, which could affect voting behaviour.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Case study: India - what is an AI election? Study Guide
- Is digital media causing the end of free and fair elections? Study Guide
- What is digital media and how is it different? Study Guide
- What is the social impact of digital media within a democracy? Study Guide
- Why are people concerned by the influence of digital media? Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 Citizenship guide library.