Should Politics Exist on Social Media?
With the most recent presidential election coming to a close, there has been a recent influx of detailed political conversations on social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook. While watching the results of our country unfold online, I couldn’t help but wonder how politics on social media impacts the adults consuming it.
From Kamala Harris’s “brat,” campaign on Tik Tok to the contradicting “MAGA Anthem,” that was immediately trending with Donald Trump, it felt as though the logistics that are used in analyzing recent political events were thrown entirely out the window. Generally speaking, I feel as though politics shouldn’t be projected on social media; at least to the extent that they are now.
Most people in our generation, tend to use social media influencers and their platforms as a main source of information in regard to important political and world events. This shouldn’t be the case, as most of these sources do not need to be properly verified. Although many are reliable sources (some even more unbiased than actual news channels), they directly contradict the main points of the purpose of social media in the first place. When it comes to solely providing political opinions, I feel as though social media platforms are a perfect place for that expression. When it comes to projecting actual information, it slowly turns into a loophole for projecting forms of propaganda for politicians.
A mass audience of mostly young voters who are actively trying to understand what is going on within American politics without having much prior knowledge or experience resembles a pile of prey for many politicians. Social media provides a perfect platform to release and spread information that is oftentimes not true. In doing this, it seems to only polarize the country more; further dividing individuals based on the severity of their reactions online. Social media was originally made for users to spread their personal lives and opinions, not for reliable political facts.
