Hybrid Lecture – How Social Media Changed Politics Globally
Wednesday 11 November 2026, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm GMT, online and London, UK
Social media has fundamentally transformed how people connect with others, find entertainment, learn about the world, and consume political news. Why has social media proved so politically disruptive? What distinguishes it from earlier forms of mass communication? And how have algorithms changed which political messages people encounter and amplify? Drawing on more than a decade of research, Ekaterina Zhuravskaya will discuss how the spread of mobile broadband, the expansion of social media it catalysed, and the growing role of algorithmic feed curation have altered politics across the world.
This lecture will examine the relationship between social media and the decline of traditional incumbent parties, the broader erosion of incumbency advantage, falling trust in political elites, the growth of anti-establishment movements – particularly on the extreme right – and the emergence of new forms of protest and collective action. Combining evidence from Europe, the United States, and around the world, Professor Zhuravskaya will explore how and why digital technologies have changed political equilibria.
Meet our speaker and chair:
Ekaterina Zhuravskaya is a centennial professor at LSE in 2026-27. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 1999. She has published extensively on how political institutions, traditional and social media, and economic policies shape societies, as well as on the historical origins of ethnic conflict and hatred. Her honours include the Birgit Grodal Award, the CNRS Silver Medal, fellowship of the Econometric Society, and foreign honorary membership of the American Economic Association.
Sarah Ashwin is Head of the LSE Department of Management and Professor of Comparative Employment Relations. Her research examines gender, work and employment, and has made influential contributions to the development of gender theory. Professor Ashwin’s more recent research explores labour standards, workers’ rights and the governance of global garment supply chains.
Find more information and book your free spot here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/events/social-media-changed-politics-globally
This event will be held online and at London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, UK.