Social Media In Presidential Elections

Due to the upcoming 2016 presidential election, many people’s Facebook and Twitter feeds have been filled up with political-related posts. It is common to see supporters of different presidential candidates get into heated arguments about their political views against each other on social media. People are not afraid to share their opinions online for everyone to see, and these posts play a huge role in persuading who the politically uneducated citizens will vote for. Politicians are aware of the power of social media and utilizes it to their maximum advantage to win more voters. Compared to when the presidents had to broadcast their messages through the radio, it is safe to say that advancement of technology has totally changed the way contemporary

elections for the better. There are certainly major advantages to having social media, including the fact that it helps inform a great number of teenagers and young adults who would not have been aware of politics. Many of them fortunately take the time to go vote for candidates However, the information available on social media platforms is not always accurate and is usually limited, which can cause them to vote for a candidate that does not represent their values. The candidates’ political campaigns have also been altered to satisfy the contemporary methods that the voters use to become familiarized with these politicians. If they utilize social media wisely and to their advantage, it will be a powerful tool to raise donations, deliver political messages, and display personalities that secure votes. On the other hand, the nature of social media makes it easy for the candidate’s reputation to be ruined overnight due to a single slip that instantly becomes popularized and exaggerated on social media sites. Social media will inevitably affect the future U.S. elections more and more, so both the voters and politicians will benefit by constantly being aware of the messages they are absorbing and