The political environment has changed dramatically over the last few decades. The Internet has played an important role in this change. In particular, social media has become an important element in the thinking of political movements and people’s problems.
How Social Media has changed Politics
Candidates and supporters will continue to comment on Facebook and Twitter. All stakeholders have their own page where they can broadcast their promotional and donation requests. And there are video sharing sites like YouTube too that politics use to their advantage. Political YouTube Channels have sprouted with unimaginable subscribers and views they must have cooked up or simply bought (buyoutubeviews.com).
Let’s take a look at the main ways social media can influence today’s politics.
24 hours news
One way social media transforms national politics is the rate with which information, poll outcomes, and gossips are distributed. Before entering the Internet, people have to wait for the next newspaper or television news program to stay up to date, but online news is a phenomenon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Social media takes this step. You can access news on multiple websites every hour, but most people spend more time on social sites than on significant political or news sites. This means that every time you log in, you get the latest news and comments your friends share.
Impact of polls
Political research is an important part of any campaign. This is often confusing because we find multiple studies with conflicting results published that day.
Like the other types of political news, the Internet has significantly increased the number of findings we see each day. Social media is accelerating this step further. Not only do social media sites report voting results, but they can also actually participate in Facebook voting.
The voting results had a great influence on the election. This is true even if there are defects. Polls may be self-fulfilling prophecies. For example, if people think that a candidate is far ahead of their competitors, then we can conclude that voting for the weak is pointless. When people publish the latest findings on social media throughout the day, we need to put pressure on candidates to stay ahead of them.
Direct dialogue with politicians
Among the great impact of social media on national politics is that the people have the chance to more conveniently communicate with political contenders and chosen representatives. Traditionally, to meet politicians and candidates, you have to attend a live event. Not everyone can do it. The latest technology allows you to attend real-time streaming and virtual events where you can interact with politicians and candidates.
Demographics and positioning
Use targeting across the advertising industry to ensure that your ads and messages reach the right people. Politicians too. In this era where social networks are more favored, politicians and civil servants can target exactly their audience and position their campaigns in specific locations.
If the candidate wants to address the concerns of a group of women, college students, retirees, Latin Americans, or other voters, you can tailor the information here. Just as Facebook advertisers can analyze and use targeted advertising, so are candidates and politicians. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a political message appears to be in a private discussion with you.