Analysis of the Role of Content Creators in Shaping Public Perception of Social Issues through Digital Platforms

Abstract

The rapid development of digital platforms has transformed public communication, enabling content creators to influence social discourse and shape public perception of social issues. This study aims to analyze the role of content creators as opinion leaders in shaping public perception of social issues and to identify factors affecting their effectiveness in digital communication. A library research approach was employed, reviewing relevant books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and official documents published over the past five years. Data were collected, classified, and analyzed using content and thematic analysis to synthesize empirical findings. The results indicate that content creators shape public perception through framing, storytelling, and interactive audience engagement, while their effectiveness is influenced by credibility, content relevance and quality, audience interaction, platform algorithms, and communication ethics. Thus, content creators serve as strategic digital opinion leaders, bridging classical communication theories with contemporary practice and offering significant theoretical and practical implications for ethical and effective digital communication.