El impacto para el sistema democrático del manejo de las redes sociales X y TikTok en la segunda vuelta electoral 2025 en Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: The emergence of new information and communication technologies has brought about radical changes in various human fields, including those related to political campaigning, which entails several challenges and risks for the maintenance of the democratic system. This paper describes the functions of social networks such as X and TikTok during electoral campaigns and the main difficulties related to the lack of regulations to control their inappropriate use, such as emotional manipulation, information overload, and the breaking of electoral silence. Therefore, the results of a qualitative study with a descriptive-interpretive character are presented, based on the content analysis of the official accounts of candidates Daniel Noboa and Luisa González on both X and TikTok, from March 23, 2025, the date on which the campaign for the second round of elections began, until April 13, 2025, when the elections took place, with the aim of determining the main themes, discursive strategies, resources applied, and the interaction with users on the two social networks.