Considering I spend a nauseating amount of time on my phone, I thought I might as well turn my news notifications on so I wouldn't completely disconnect from reality. I know, what a noble thought to have. It was a very minor change and as presumably thought, it didn't give me a real sense of what was going on in the world. Shocking. Americans seemed to be more interested in the debate over President Trump's mental health or what would be used to build our infamous wall above anything else. Amidst of all the chaotic opinion posts, I quickly realized that staying informed was a choice that required real research.
I found the concept of choice to be really infuriating in this context. I was struggling to be proud of an America that condoned this obliviousness; it was the type of frustration that made you just want to shake some sense into people. But after thinking about it, it became clear that the root of the problem was not a difference in opinions, but our country's newly constructed relationship with social media. Since the beginning, politics has been fueled by traditional media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, tax press, and press conferences. Through these informational-messengers, a balanced debate between parties has allowed elections to proceed relatively drama free. However, the introduction of social media has lead to a new political environment in which entertainment trumps professionalism--yes, pun intended.
Social media platforms are centered around audience engagement, which is why they are geared to benefit the socially-entertaining. The previous election highlighted the pivotal role social media had on voter influence with one of the most shocking outcomes in Presidential history. While I believe social media is definitely useful in relaying messages to a huge amount of people, it can’t be the sole source of information in politics. Although it is readily available, it is not always accurate.
“The more social media we have, the more we think we are connecting, yet we are really disconnecting”-JR, French Artist
Therefore, in years to come we must be mindful of the impact social media has in shaping politics. For instance, rather than try and keep people attached to the fleeting ways of traditional news, we should be making more of an effort towards reinventing social media. However until we have found a way to eliminate the illegitimacy that social media cultivates, it is in our best interest as a nation that we stayed informed. While it might not be as fun as posting an Instagram or watching a youtube video, properly educating yourself on politics is well worth it and will have lasting effects on the way we grow as a country.
