Social Media and Politics

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, politicians often turn to social media to communicate with citizens regarding political issues, amongst other things. The President of the United States has a Twitter and Facebook account. Hilary Clinton is active on Twitter. Senator Elizabeth Warren is very active on social media, especially in voicing her stance on certain political interests. This activity on social media by politicians and citizens allows citizens to communicate with and hear many different voices in our government, but it also allows for a more “fierce” battleground when it comes to elections. In the 2016 presidential election, we got to see a lot of activity from every angle on social media. Whether it was the Democratic party, the Republican party, or anywhere in between, social media heavily influenced the way that platforms were laid out and the way that campaigns were run. Instead of people watching the debates at home or viewing commercials on their televisions, a lot of the presidential election action occurred online. Even when things were released on television, they were usually published online as well. This prevalence of political action on social media because many people do not have cable/satellite television, the domino effect and how quickly things can be shared, and the ability for ordinary citizens to interact with other citizens and politicians quickly, easily, and efficiently. Many people, whether it is by choice or due to some other circumstance, do not have cable, personally, it was a useless expense to me because I feel that I can access anything I want to as long as I can connect to the internet. I was able to view any footage I wanted to view about any of the candidates just by using search bars online or tuning into what people were viewing and discussing on Facebook or Twitter. This ties into the ability for news and information to spread like wildfire. Things I wanted to see, typically someone else had already shared on Facebook or mentioned on Twitter. Everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to politics, so it’s sort of a mutual interest for nearly everyone. So, Donald Trump posts something then my friend’s cousin’s uncle shares it, then my friend’s cousin shares it, then my friend shares it, then there it is, on my timeline. Multiply that by thousands and Donald Trump’s post is all across the world in minutes. Social media also allows for ordinary people to Tweet directly to a politician or post to their Facebook wall (it is important to note that these politicians often have others running their accounts for them.) Even though the politician may not be the direct recipient of the tweet or Facebook post, those who are running the accounts for the politician can pass along messages or even get a general idea of how the public is feeling about certain topics and issues based on what they are receiving on social media.

              A study done in 2016 by the Pew Research Center shows alarming results of how people were feeling about the political environment on social media. Many people expressed discontent and wariness with the amount and types of political posts they were seeing on Facebook and Twitter.