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Wild Card Position Paper

 How Did Social Media Effect the Election


It is not secret that social media and its easy use platform has made it so everyone is now a political pundits. Never before in history have people felt so connected to the president and elected leaders as they do now as politicians are now taking to social media to keep their followers informed. Before, politicians had to go through media outlets to get the word out, but now they can just tweet their thoughts directly and plainly. While this can be empowering, it can also be risky. There are many PR managers that sweat bullets now that unfiltered dialogue can be sent out at the press of a button. 

Prime example of this was president Donald Trump. Daily, he sent feed out and quickly behind him his PR manager was doing damage control. But regardless of whether people followed him to be informed or to mock his claims, he amassed a great following and he was an avid user of social media to voice his thoughts directly. 

But it is this new age and use of technology that is creating an interesting dynamic between media and politics. Just as we are seeing now the president having free power to voice his opinions and thoughts, so are people all over the world about the political view point. This election alone, I saw more advertisements and posts about politics than I have ever seen in my life. Furthermore, on Instagram, you could register to vote or or other resources to help ensure everyone had the information needed so they could vote. 


This level of intensive coverage could not go unnoticed. The fact is, the use of social media is now a tool in shaping the presidential elections as well as views regarding politics. So how did the use of social media affect the outcome of this past election?

"The importance of social media in this year's Presidential race cannot be overstated. Currently 72% of U.S. citizens of voting age actively use some form of social media, while 69% of Americans in the same group use Facebook alone, according to data from Socialbakers." Source. 

And with apps like Instagram encouraging users to register, the correlation can no longer be ignored. Social media is now a larger factor in elections. It is also proven that the younger demographic is more likely to get their news and information from social media, so this could explain why the sudden burst of the younger demographic participated in this year's election.

It is often stated that the younger audiences in America do not participate or practice their right to vote. And for a long time, this fact was held true. However, this past election showed a spike in young voters, and a great deal of credit could be given to the active use and publicity this election got on social media.  

Many influencers took to social media to post about the injustice America is facing and how their followers could vote to change it. Many from millennials down felt this year's election went beyond economics and taxes, and they felt real social changes needs to take place. This push from influencers and viral videos soaring the web gave cause to the younger generations to take action in this year's election. Because the content was outside the traditional media platform, and it was from relatable voices, the younger generations finally felt cause and connected to politics. Something that has not been seen for decades.  Harvard study showed that 63% of young people said they were planning to vote this year compared the 47% from 2016. The active use of social media has really changed how the younger generations get involved in politics.


But is this for the best? Some would argue that this may not be the best solution to get the youth involved in politics. According to Pew Research Center,  64% of American adults believe that social media is having a negative impact overall. They feel it promotes misinformation, hate, and harassment along with very few believing that any positive benefits come from the use of social media spreading news. So while social media is promoting youth to participate in politics, is it truly the best? 

Only time will tell if this is for the best. Regardless of views or whether or not this is for the best, the fact cannot be ignored that social media is now playing a huge role in politics. The transfer of news and information and the level of interactivity between candidates and their supporters will only grow in the future. 













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