Mainstream democratic politics is mired in a crisis of legitimacy. This essay argues that modern democracies are caught in a 'digital-democratic doom loop' in which declining trust in the state, economic stagnation and rising inequality fuel public anger that is increasingly misdirected at democratic institutions rather than private power, especially big tech.

The essay traces how long-standing populist techniques of redirecting blame were radically intensified after the 2008 financial crash by the rise of algorithmic social media. It finds digital platforms amplify outrage, flatten distinctions between fact and falsehood, weaken journalism and democratic debate, and strengthen the power of tech companies. The essay argues this is a key contributor to the democratic doom loop.

The essay seeks to deepen the understanding of how social media is contributing to the erosion of faith in democracy and points towards practical ways to safeguard a democratic future. It concludes that breaking the doom loop requires rebalancing public and private power, and the development of new platforms and algorithms designed to support epistemic security, deliberation and a renewed alliance between citizen and democratic states.