Social Media: Misinformation Machine or Activism Apparatus?
Social media proved this year that it is pivotal to the political process. Campaigns and people seemed both to be obsessed with it. How will it shape our world going forward? Source.
Social media platforms have revolutionized much of the 21st century — and the world of politics is not exempt. While the only direct line of communication between candidates and constituents used to be TV appearances or newspapers, social media apps like Twitter and Instagram have created a direct channel of communication between citizens and the politics. This social media revolution has been a tool political candidates can use to garner support and spread awareness among constituents; however, social media has also acted as a source of confusion and misinformation. Which leads some to wonder, is social media truly benefiting the political process?
Something not regularly taken into account is how expensive it is to run a political campaign. A majority of these expenses are related to advertising. This has led to the “incumbency advantage,” the trend in which it is easier for incumbents to be reelected into office because they already have the connections required to fundraise large sums of money. This makes it more difficult for political newcomers to campaign effectively. Social media, however, has removed this barrier to entry and provided budding candidates with a cheaper, more accessible means of garnering attention and support. In an article published by the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School professor Pinar Yildrim is quoted saying, “You don’t have to have the big money, big bucks, big fundraisers, big supporters to be able to communicate on Twitter with your constituency.” Yildrim then went on to explain how, in his recent research, he found that candidates were able to use social media to humanize and introduce themselves to the constituents, while using the platform to solicit donations. Therefore, social media has helped to diversify the political field by providing a broader range of citizens the opportunity to become involved.
Social media also helps to spread awareness that may provide individuals with new information that causes them to change their stance on an issue. Pew Research Center reported that, “roughly a quarter (23%) of adult social media users in the United States … say they have changed their views about a political or social issue because of something they saw on social media in the past year.” Pew also reported that this is an 8% increase from 2018. One such issue was the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality. With the tragedy of George Floyd’s death playing out over social media, more awareness than ever was brought to the Black Lives Matter cause. This sparked protests all over the country.
While social media has been a useful activism apparatus, a majority of American citizens are still concerned about the negative aspects of social media, primarily the spread of misinformation that social media platforms perpetuate. Pew Research Center reported in October that 64% of U.S. citizens believe that social media has had mostly negative effects. Some citizens go one step further, stating that large social media companies neglect their responsibility to vet information that comes from celebrities or famous politicians or that they restrict the access and reach of those who attempt to call these people out. Earlier this year, the New York Times’s Twitter account posted a tweet regarding a controversial article about Hunter Biden and subsequently had their Twitter account locked. This brought a great deal of scrutiny on Twitter as people accused them of censoring the Times. Furthermore, the use of social media to spread misinformation is further compounded by President Donald Trump’s heavy Twitter usage. USA Today reported that two recent studies by Harvard and Cornell University found that a large source of misinformation, particularly about COVID-19 and mail-in voting, is sourced and amplified from President Trump’s Twitter account. This has been emphasized by President Trump’s detractors.
Today, social media has become part of most peoples’ daily lives. It has revolutionized many aspects of today’s society and become a great tool for many. However, we must be wary of the flaws with its system. With all of this information newly at our fingertips, it is up to us to ensure we are gaining our information from reputable sources that can be backed up with facts and data. During this election year and pandemic, this is more important than ever before.