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Block, Joshua

Dr. Colombo

UWRT 1104

1 March 2017

How does Social Media Influence the field of Politics?

How has social medias involvement in politics changed over the past few presidential elections?

How did the candidates in the 2016 presidential election utilize social media to their benefit?

How acceptable of an outlet is social media to express political opinions?

How has social media increased the amount of political participation in the citizens of the U.S.?

How does social medias involvement in politics differ from the U.S. to other countries?

Works Cited
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How has social medias involvement in politics changed over the past few presidential

elections?

The Routledge companion to social media and politics suggests that Obamas
2008 campaign sparked more commentary about digital medias involvement in politics
than any other event in recent history. It provides the statistic that the 2008 Obama
campaign raised 750 million dollars, 500 million of which was raised online. It also
provides the statistic that 407 million dollars were spent on advertisement, however, only
17 million of which was spent on online ads which translated to roughly four ads per cent
as stated by contributor Chadwick in chapter 6. The contributors also mention that the
candidates in the elections to follow continue to generate the television and media
coverage needed for them to present themselves as powerful candidates conveying
enthusiasm, authenticity, and common purpose.

Republican political strategist Patrick Ruffini states that those who practiced
political involvement on social media platforms in 2012 tended to favor short, calculated
political statements once a day that were highly controlled and sanitized, but it was
generally not the first place they went to proclaim opinions or policy proposals. In stark
contrast to this, it is estimated that Trumps internet based campaign would have costed
380 million dollars if he sought to buy ads rather than present himself over social media,
which shows how drastically social media has integrated into politics. It is also presented
that the amount of active Facebook users are up 60% from 2012, which also contributes
to increased social media involvement in politics.

Social media has become increasingly more involved in all aspects of political engagement,
including campaigns, political debates, and increased civilian involvement in politics. It has
become apparent that the 2016 presidential election had more integration into social media than
any previous election before it.

How did the candidates in the 2016 presidential election utilize social media to their benefit?
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According to Marissa Lang, social media has gone from an afterthought, to

leading strategy for the presidential candidates in 2016. According to SocialFlows
estimate, Hillary Clinton garnered just shy of 100 million dollars in free exposure via
social media. Lang states that this involvement in social media has paid off for the
candidates extensively, especially amongst younger voters for nearly two-thirds of
individuals from ages 18-29 say that social media is the most helpful means of learning
new information regarding politics, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research
Center.

On the Morning Edition, Sam Sanders goes on to explain the specific occurrences
of social media usage by the candidates of the 2016 election to attack competing
candidates. Sanders presents the example of how the Hillary Clinton campaign tweeted a
graphic about student debt that claimed that 40 million Americans collectively owe $1.2
trillion in student debt, and the Jeb Bush responded to her tweet by tweaking her own
graphic, and stating that about 100% of student debt increases under Democrats. Sanders
goes on to explain the back and forth social media charged altercations between these two
specific candidates, and how Trump acted as a fuel fire for these social media based
political tactics.

The candidates of the 2016 presidential election all utilized social media in some aspect to
benefit their respective campaigns. Whether is was to gain followers via social platforms, or to
defile the image of their competitors, the 2016 presidential candidates utilized social media in
ways that past presidential candidates did not.

How acceptable of an outlet is social media to express political opinions?

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The critique of Facebook is that it's now become an echo chamber. The
algorithm that controls your newsfeed favors content that you've liked before and
matches your own politics. And with Twitter, you could argue that it's very DNA is just
not set up for a thoughtful political dialogue. Kerric Harvey is the author of "The
Encyclopedia Of Social Media And Politics" and she told me this. States NPRs Sam
Sanders. Sanders explains that the very nature of these popular social networking
platforms cause further divide amongst those who participate in political debate on them.
He also goes on to explain that people tend to say things over social media that they
might not in real-life interaction due to there being no immediate consequence for what is
said.

Gone are the days of the blind following the blind. Thanks to social media and
the greater access to resources and education, millennials are the most informed
generation of voters to date. This is a group that truly believes they can make a difference
together and expects their leaders (in the political and business worlds) to listen to what
they have to say. (Fromm) Along with this goes the increased participation in politics as
a benefit of the intertwining of social media with politics, for the millennial generation
(along with those of Gen Z) are starting to reach their prime years, and political
participation is imperative for the progression of modern day politics.

Social media invokes both beneficial, and unproductive impacts on the field of politics today.
Overall, social media provides an easier spread of information and influences more individuals to
participate in politics, however, it also provides an opportunity to further the divide between
those of differing opinions, and an increase in maliciousness between those debating adverse
opinions. The argument can be easily made from either perspective.

How has social media increased the amount of political participation in the citizens of the

U.S.?
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Jeff Fromm, president of FutureCast, argues that social media is the main cause of
increased political involvement, especially amongst millennials. Fromm refers to this as
participatory politics and states that it is a new political movement that encourages
individual engagement and participation in ongoing debates and discussions, takes place
predominantly in the social realm. Millennials are more demanding that their local and
national governments and politicians listen to them and want to be involved in the
conversation at all times. Remember, this is co-creation generation. Fromm explains that
Social media based politics has become a chain reaction as far as participation is
concerned. He also mentions that platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can provide
political leaders with real time sentiment for their followers to attain, which further
increases the amount of participation in politics.

Academic research has consistently found that people who consume more news
media have a greater probability of being civically and politically engaged across a
variety of measures. states John Wihbey in his journalists resource article on the
correlation of social media and political participation. In the article, Wihbey presents the
findings from various studies such as a 2012 study published in the journal Nature, A
61-million-person Experiment in Social Influence and Political Mobilization which
presented that Facebook usage for political purposes generated and changed/influenced
340,000 additional votes in the election that year.

It is apparent that social media plays a key role in increasing political participation. The nature of
social media to cause a chain reaction in frequent users not only increases participation in
politics, but also impacts the various views that people may have based on the specific politics
being circulated through these platforms.

How is social medias involvement in politics similar or different from the U.S. to other

countries?
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In the article Social Media and the Decision to Participate in Political Protest:
Observations From Tahrir Square, author's Zeynep Tufekci and Christopher Wilson
delve into the topic of social media involvement in politics in authoritarian regimes as
compared to that of western cultures. Tufekci and Wilson discuss the Tahrir Square
protests and how social media (specifically Facebook) was how about 50% of the
protesters knew about the protest. they then go on to explain that Egypt is not a country
where the citizens are fully allowed to voice their opinions, but social media provided a
way to do that easily without necessarily being persecuted for it. The article mentions,
however, that some bloggers were found and persecuted for speaking against the
government and they were often jailed for extended periods of time, and this provides
key insight on how authoritarian regimes are significantly more radical than those of
western influence.

Prerna Kaul Mishra, editor at the India Today Group, explains the specific
integration of social media as of recently in modern Indian politics. Mishra goes on to
describe the average Indian voter and how they have tasted democratization of
expression through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs. Mishra also
addresses Indias political contenders relationships with social media in their specific
political endeavors. most seasoned political contenders, including the chief ministerial
candidates, were all active on social media, in varying degrees. states Mishra. The article
discusses the recent political victory of the Aam Aadmi Party, and how it was a promising
example of engagement and persuasion via social media. A vast amount of the election
was contested specifically online; In Delhi alone there were 13 million registered voters,
12.15 million of which were online.

Politics in general can vary significantly from country to country, however, it seems in most
countries that no matter the economical situation, social media is becoming increasingly more
prominent in any and all cultures today. Different countries utilize social media to fit the specific
needs of their situation.

Works Cited

Sanders, Sam. Social Media's Increasing Role In The 2016 Presidential Election. NPR, NPR,

www.npr.org/2016/11/07/500977344/social-media-s-role-increases-in-2016-presidential-election
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Wilson, Christopher, and Zeynep Tufekci. Social Media and the Decision to Participate in

Political Protest: Observations From Tahrir Square. Onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 6 Mar. 2012,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01629.x/full

Bruns, Axel, et al. The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics. Basingstoke, Taylor

& Francis Ltd, 2016, Election Campaigning in the Hybrid Media System,

uncc.worldcat.org/title/routledge-companion-to-social-media-and-

politics/oclc/933433902&referer=brief_results.

Fromm, Jeff. "New Study Finds Social Media Shapes Millennial Political Involvement And

Engagement." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 22 June 2016. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

<https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2016/06/22/new-study-finds-social-media-shapes-

millennial-political-involvement-and-engagement/#75151ba62618>.

Lang, Marissa. 2016 Presidential Election Circus: Is Social Media the Cause? Government

Technology, www.govtech.com/social/2016-Presidential-Election-Circus-Is-Social-Media-the-

Cause.html.

Mishra, Prerna. "How Social Media Is Transforming Indian Politics." Weforum.org. N.p., 27 Feb.

2015. Web. 27 Feb. 2017. <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/how-social-media-is-

transforming-indian-politics/>.