The American Political Process has a wide range of aspects to which impact the United States government today. Whether or not we have created an effective political process that enhances our democracy, is something that many debate still today. Though we have created a nearly united country, we still have areas to which need expertise. Today's political society continues to take a social media to the extremes and let it take control of our ideas and views. The impact of TV and Media on today' political world has created a kind of chaos more than ever.
Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allow politicians to hide behind their perspective. While thousands of people in the U.S. debate back and forth between who is right and who is wrong, politicians sit in their big chair of deception and watch. Using social media allows politicians to circumvent the traditional method of reaching voters through paid advertising or earned media. Fundraising is a large part of a politicians plan with social media. Tools called, "money bombs" raise large amounts of cash in short periods of time. Typically the standard is a 24 hour period where candidates press their supporters and skeptics to donate money to their campaign. A candidate's team can use social media apps like Twitter and Facebook to get the word out. A relationship like this with social media provides a direct contact with the voters.
One tactic that politicians use with social media can be advertising without advertising. It has become common for political campaigns to produce commercials and publish for free on YouTube instead of paying for television air time which used to be the norm in television ad campaigns.
Twitter and Facebook have become vital parts in organizing campaigns. It allows like-minded, or at least similar-minded, voters and activists to share news or information.
Engaging younger voters is one of the prime reasons that politicians choose to take part in the social media world. Typically, its the older Americans that tend to make up the largest portion of voters who actually go to the polls. This means that having social media as an addition to a politicians campaign is a huge advantage if you can reach the right young voters. An example of this is that President Obama was the first politician to tap into the power of social media during his two successful campaigns. He used a web video to announce his run for presidential candidate and then he announced his choice for Vice President through a text message. This shows one of the first glimpses into the future as many of today's politicians use social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to spread their platform ideas and personal opinions.
Though we choose to avoid the idea, the media is sometimes used for evil. Propaganda techniques like name calling pick out a specific person and then target them and make them out as if they were a bad person. When we see an ad like that on television or as a commercial on YouTube, most of the time we don't think much of it. But sometimes, when we pay really close attention, we listen and then it sticks. We don't think to see the other side of the story or try to dig for the full story of the candidate who approved the message. Its all one sided to us. From that moment forward we become selective viewers and listeners.
And in the end, we'll all become that way. If we don't realize that one opinion is not the only opinion, then how are we supposed to move forward as a society? As a nation?
The link below will take you to my school youtube channel where the psa video on the impact of tv and media on the American Political Process can be found.
https://youtu.be/n0Vp55zjuCY
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