It's been a few years since Tim passed away, which has led me think about how the presidential election will play out in this new digital age. We are now an on-demand society that has become accustomed to minute-by-minute updates, so is it possible for social media to replace Tim's dry erase board? According to a time.com article, social media will have an interesting role in the upcoming election. While social media will not totally replace election polls, sites such as Google and Twitter will be used to gauge what people are discussing online as it relates to the presidential election. It is very likely that campaigns will make strategic decisions based on social media traffic and discussions. This shows the significant impact social media may have on the presidential election.
This can also result in an interesting way to engage college students in the presidential election. It would be interesting to see educational programs developed to encourage students to use social media to learn about candidates, but to also engage with other individuals in learning more about candidate platforms and the election process in general. As we try to enhance civic responsibility among college students, perhaps it's time to put down the dry erase board and pick up the computer mouse!
Photo Credit:
http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/__NEW/nbc_williams_russerttribute_081104.video-260x195.jpg
Great post Chandra! In one of my courses last semester we discussed why it is not easier for college students to go out and vote, especially since many of them have such strong political opinions. I believe it is important to encourage voting early on and make it a habit, but many of us find local voting restrictions leave us feeling alienated and discouraged from the whole process. I liked your idea about creating initiatives that would encourage students to actively participate.
ReplyDeleteIf I can say one thing about Florida, it is that we are known for keeping it interesting.
In the social media US presidential politics world, the man to follow is Nate Silver:
ReplyDeletehttp://fivethirtyeight.com/politics/
Hi Chandra, interesting post regarding the influence of social media on politics and election! As we can observe the candidates and their campaigners are really using social media to their advantage, consistently putting out their messages out there to influence opinions. For example, we have seen how Donald Trump had really mastered the art and science of Twitter feed to push narratives, drive the news and ratings.
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