Lauren Peterson

Mr. Cary
English 1102
May 6, 2014
Social Media in Politics
In the past politics hae !een adertised in a !road span o" #ays including
ne#spapers, !ill!oards, and een teleision ads. $ne o" the controersial topics in
politics today is #hether or not social %edia should a #ay "or candidates to reach out to
their audience. &hen researching people's thoughts a!out politics on social %edia
today there #ere %ultiple responses concerning the issue o" social %edia in politics.
(here are seeral a%ounts o" opinions on the %atter dealing #ith politics in social
%edia #hich lead to ery strong opinions s on this %atter #hich are ether positie or
negatie. )ictionary.co% de"ines social %edia de"ined !y dictionary.co% is *#e!sites
and other online %eans o" co%%unication that are used !y large groups o" people to
share in"or%ation and to deelop social and pro"essional contacts.+ (he de"inition o"
social %edia is i%portant !ecause it is di""erent "ro% ,ust a regular #e!site !ecause
there is a larger audience that "ollo#s social %edia sites. Many Politicians don-t ,ust use
social %edia "or election %o%ents !ut they also use it to discuss #hat is going on #ith
their lies, their thoughts and "eelings, and also #hat they are inoled in. .urther%ore
social %edia is a gro#ing part o" society that a""ects %any people today, !ecause o" this
it is i%portant that politics and political issues today are intert#ined #ith social %edia
today.
/ecause social %edia has !een so intert#ined in society it usage has !eco%e a
tool that can !e used to de"ine di""erent outco%es in politics. .urther%ore !ased on a
surey conducted !y Pe# Internet Pro,ect, *as o" Septe%!er 2010 102 o" adults use
social %edia #e!sites 3Social4.+ So%e #ill argue that social %edia is such a ital part o"
society today !ecause it is a co%%unity #here people all across the #orld are a!le to
connect #ith each other een i" they are tens o" thousands o" %iles a#ay. 5nother #ay
social %edia can !e considered a tool !ecause di""erent political parties can reach out
to di""erent states that %ay not "ollo# that particular party. Social %edia has also !een
used as a tool !ecause it can reach a !road span o" people. .or e6a%ple, .lorida is a
do%inantly a repu!lican state so %any people #ho lie in .lorida %ostly hear a!out
repu!lican issues and repu!lican parties. 7o# #ith social %edia de%ocrats are a!le to
reach out to eeryone #ithin di""erent states. 5s a result politicians should ta8e
adantage o" social %edia and use this ne# technology to the %ost opti%al point
possi!le. .lash !ac8 to the 2009 election !et#een de%ocratic candidate $!a%a and
repu!lican candidate McCain #hen the start o" the %ass outloo8 on social %edia
started. 5ccording to a surey conducted !y Pe# Internet and 5%erican Li"e Pro,ect
+(hree:;uarters 31424 o" internet users #ent online during the 2009 election to ta8e part
in, or get ne#s and in"or%ation a!out the 2009 ca%paign. (his represents <<2 o" the
entire adult population 3S%ith4.+ (hrough this surey #e can conclude that social %edia
is on the rise and !eca%e one and i" not the %a,ority o" #as #here candidates reached
out to their audience and 8ept the% in"or%ed throughout the election. 5s access to the
internet gro#s and social %edia outlet gro#s "or users then the source o" online politics
gro#s. S%ith supports this argu%ent !y stating that si6 in ten internet users #ent online
"or ne#s or in"or%ation a!out politics in 2009. (his represents 442 o" all 5%erican
adults. &ith this all in %ind the election in 2009 #as ,ust the !eginning to a !right "uture
"or politics in social %edia.
Een though #e sa# in 2009 a great ,u%p in social %edia usage the election in
2012 #as een !roader !ecause o" the aaila!ility o" social %edia. &e sa# in the 2012
election that President $!a%a used social %edia in #ays that #e hae not seen !e"ore
!ecause o" the ne# aaila!ility o" social %edia. $!a%a used .ace!oo8 and (#itter to
put out his #ords and to 8eep his "ollo#ers up to date on the election. $ne o" the
reasons that $!a%a #as so success"ul #ith using the aaila!ility o" social %edia *402
o" (#itter users are )e%ocrats, co%pared to 002 o" the =.S. population that uses
twitter overall. 5s a result o" a lot o" his oters on (#itter, $!a%a #as a!le to ta8e
this perspectie and %a8e his %ain target, t#itter. $n the other hand *5 study "ound the
>o%ney's ca%paign aeraged 1 t#eet per day #hile the $!a%a ca%paign aeraged 2?
t#eets 3Cru@4.+ (hrough this study #e can see that social %edia has !een positie tool
to the candidates !ecause o" its aaila!ility to the%. (his is #hy #e can see that
success"ul presidential candidates hae used social %edia in their ca%paign !ecause
the candidates that hae used social %edia to their !est adantage hae !een
success"ul in the presidential ca%paigns and elections.
Social %edia has proided an outlet "or all internet users to "ind in"or%ation
;uic8ly. Politicians hae also used social %edia as their tool to not only pro%ote their
ca%paigns !ut to also connect #ith the people o" this country. Aeorge &. /ush is ery
actie on his t#itter, #hich is sho#n in the article posted !y 5/C ne#s, een though he
is not inoled in politics directly any%ore he is still inoled in social %edia and
8eeping his "ollo#ers and citi@ens up to date #ith #hat his li"e is a!out3Bonstantinides4.
(he election in 2012 #asn't ,ust "or the candidates to reach out to their audiences !ut
#e also no# reali@e it is also "or users trying to get in"or%ation a!out #hat is going on
#ith the election and the running candidates. (his is also an i%portant aspect o" social
%edia "or politicians !ecause it 8eeps citi@ens inoled in their lies and %a8es the%
hae a %ore personal connection #ith people that are or hae lead our country.
+)igital technology allo#s leaders to engage in a ne# leel o" *conersation+ #ith
oters, trans"or%ing ca%paigning into so%ething %ore dyna%ic, %ore o" a dialogue,
than it #as in the 20
th
century3Co#4. Een though social %edia has !een success"ul
there is still a lot o" roo% "or i%proe%ent and gro#th. (he %a,ority o" people that are
against the use o" politics in social %edia don-t 8no# ho# and #hy politicians use the
di""erent sites. I" people sat do#n and tried to ta8e the ti%e to truly understand #hy
politicians use these sites then there #ould !e a lot less people against the use o" social
%edia. (hey #ould ;uic8ly see ho# social %edia can !e used as a tool o" a ne# #ay o"
reaching people during elections can !e a positie thing in this country. Politics in social
%edia is not only used "or candidates use !ut also "or users trying to get in"or%ation
a!out #hat is going in #ith the election and the running candidates or een.
$ne o" the %ain !ene"its o" social %edia has proided an outlet "or all internet
users to "ind in"or%ation ;uic8ly #hich has allo#ed internet users to choose their o#n
outlet o" ne#s coerage that they pre"er. /ecause no# #e hae %ore sources to lie #e
no# hae social %edia #hich adds diersity rather than gathering in"or%ation "ro% a
third party li8e "o6 ne#s or cnn. +7either ca%paign %ade %uch use o" the social aspect
o" social %edia. >arely did either candidate reply to, co%%ent on, or *ret#eet+
so%ething "ro% a citi@en:or anyone else outside the ca%paign 3Co#4.+ .ro% this
state%ent #e can see that one o" the i%proe%ents that can !e %ade is "or politicians
to !eco%e %ore inoled #ith their audience #hich could lead to %any %ore "ollo#ers.
5s technology gro#s and !eco%es %ore adanced in the =nited States so #ill the
%oe%ent o" politics in social %edia. &ith the 2012 election !eing so social %edia
po#ered social %edia is ,ust !eginning to eole in politics today and the "uture can only
!ring %ore.
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