The environmental impact of using social networks in election campaigns

Abstract

Social media are a virtual reality to which many fields, such as politics, have had to adapt. These new media serve both political parties and voters, who now have easy and instant access to political information. We are therefore particularly interested in the communication of Moroccan political parties during the 2021 legislative elections. Through our study, we wanted to find out: what impact does the use of social networks in electoral campaigns have on the environment? We’re interested in the environmental aspect because election campaigns have always used leaflets and flyers as a means of communication, to the great detriment of the environment. This is also the case in Morocco. During the last legislative elections, despite the health crisis and the decision by public authorities to limit or even ban leaflet distribution in certain provinces, the streets were littered with paper. To answer our research question, we conducted a quantitative study covering the last legislative elections. Our study showed that political parties can run election campaigns without using leaflets, since our sample claimed to have followed these campaigns mainly through social networks. Also, the political party that won the elections was the one with the strongest digital footprint. Therefore, to limit the impact of election campaigns on the environment, it’s important to turn to digital, for a paperless approach that serves the goals of sustainable development.