Platform Capitalism, Social Media, and Hegemony: A Neo-Gramscian Perspective

Abstract

This study analyzes the interrelationships between digital platforms, social media, and contemporary power relations. The main objective of the study is to explain how platform capitalism plays a role in economic power, ideological hegemony, and social consensus building from a neo-Gramscian perspective. The research is qualitative in nature and is based entirely on secondary sources, including books, journal articles, theoretical materials, and in-depth critical reviews of existing research. The study suggests that digital platforms have evolved into institutions that not only serve as communication tools but also as institutions that construct new types of power structures through their control over data, algorithms, and digital infrastructure. While algorithmic governance and data ownership reinforce digital hegemony, social media also provide opportunities for alternative voices, social movements, and counter-hegemony. In conclusion, a combined neo-Gramscian analysis of economic, political, and cultural dimensions is necessary to understand the power relations of the digital age.