[ASA Delivery] Democracy in the Feed

Democracy in the Feed
 
Public Opinion and the Flow of Information in the Age of Social Media
 
By Tsukasa Tanihara
 
ISBN: 9784022953827
 
List Price: 990 yen (tax included)
 
Release Date: August 12, 2026
 
Paperback, 240 pages, Shinsho 1071
 
Contemporary public opinion cannot be discussed without considering social media.
 
What is happening right now in the information space shaped by social media?
 
What are its characteristics, and what does the future hold?
 
“The internet isn’t trusted.”
 
“Young people only watch short videos.”
 
“Public opinion poll results are the true voice of the people.”
 
…Are these statements true?
 
The reality of social media and “public opinion” revealed through quantitative data analysis that sets aside preconceptions and biases.
 
We go beyond the dichotomy of “mass media vs. social media” to grasp the reality as it is.
 
From the “Introduction”
 
In order to effectively steer the course of one’s own life (to be autonomous), one must possess a certain amount of accurate information about the other forces acting upon oneself within one’s social environment (in other words, a certain degree of transparency is required in how society functions).
 
This passage is taken from a famous textbook on data ethics, but I believe it also applies to social media. Our lives can no longer function without the internet, social media, and video platforms. But how much do we actually know about how they work? How well do we understand why the posts and videos currently displayed on X or YouTube are being recommended to us?
 
In order to consume information and make decisions autonomously, we must understand the “quirks” of social media and video platforms and recognize the roles they play in society. I hope you’ll see this book as a resource to help you with that endeavor.
 
On July 20, 2025—the day before the House of Councillors election—I was watching the live streams of each political party’s final campaign speeches on YouTube. The peak concurrent viewership numbers for each party at that time were as follows:
 
Sanseito Party: 70,000
 
Democratic Party for the People: 32,000
 
Reiwa Shinsengumi: 10,000
 
Team Mirai: 7,600
 
The Path to Revival: 7,000 (though a highlight channel had 17,000)
 
Japan Innovation Party: 2,000
 
Japanese Communist Party: 1,400
 
Liberal Democratic Party: 300
 
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan: 300
 
I was astonished by the Sanseito Party’s overwhelming figure of 70,000. Furthermore, it is said that an audience of approximately 20,000 people gathered at Shiba Park (Minato Ward, Tokyo) for the Sanseito Party’s final campaign speech. To put the peak concurrent viewership of 70,000 into perspective, a review of recent live stream audience figures shows that the idol group BE:FIRST’s live stream also attracted a peak of 70,000 concurrent viewers. Considering that the Tokyo Dome has a maximum capacity of 55,000, one cannot help but call this a staggering number.
 
During the October 2024 House of Representatives election, it was Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, who boasted an overwhelming presence on YouTube. He held live streams once every two to three days during the election campaign, achieving a peak of about 20,000 concurrent viewers each time. It is still fresh in our memories how videos praising Prime Minister Takaichi took over YouTube during the 2026 House of Representatives election.
 
As such, in recent elections, stars have emerged on video platforms, and the political parties to which they belong have significantly increased their number of seats.
 
The phenomenon of winning votes by taking video platforms by storm has long been observed in the United States and various European countries, and this trend has finally reached Japan as well. (Omitted)
 
This book consists of seven chapters in total and is broadly divided into three sections: Theory, Case Studies, and Governance.
 
The Theoretical Section is designed to explore various facts about social media and the media in general, drawing on scientific research without being limited to specific case studies. In particular, it explains the areas that have undergone changes due to the advent of social media. Chapter 1 covers the characteristics of social media and public opinion; Chapter 2 examines the effects of the media; and Chapter 3 explores the actual media usage patterns of young people in Japan.
 
The Case Studies section covers the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election, the House of Representatives election, the 2025 House of Councillors election, and the 2026 House of Representatives election, as well as European elections from 2024 to 2025. It provides a data-driven overview of the roles social media played in each of these elections.
 
In the Governance section, we will examine the recent debate on “social media regulation.” Rather than focusing on content-based regulation, we will explore issues such as social media competition policy and the right to curate feeds from the perspective of “the individual’s right to choose their information environment”—a viewpoint that has not been widely discussed in Japan—drawing on discussions from Europe and the United States. Finally, we will discuss the literacy skills necessary for navigating the modern media environment.