How Social Media Changed the Way we do Politics

There is a big role that social media has played in the way governments and politicians do politics. In fact, it has changed the entire face of politics if we may assert. Most of the credits for this goes to the popular social media applications that include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.

As a result of social media, politicians and those involved in political activities such as the candidates for the public office has become far more accessible to their potential voters, and more accountable for their actions.

The world of social media has allowed politicians to maintain a direct contact with their voters. Tools on the social media such as YouTube, twitter, and Facebook has made it possible for people running for the office to speak directly with their voters without having to spend to many resources. Through social media, politicians nowadays use the Internet to reach out to their audience rather than relying on the traditional methods that include media and paid advertisements.

Another way social media has changed the politics is that it allows political advertisements at no cost. So inherently, one can advertise their agenda and politics without having to pay for advertisements to media channels and billboards.

Apart from that, politicians nowadays tailor their messages for their specific audience. Before a political campaign begins, a lot of analytics regarding the people who are in their following is collected. Then their message is customized based on the user demographics in order to generate a much larger impact. In other words, they are able to host news-less news conferences without having to deal with the unwanted media attention that can have a negative impact on their votes.

For instance, in the Arab uprisings, a wide number of protesters were seen on the streets having a smartphone in their hand. Social media played a great role in communication to the world regarding the situation during the uprising. This allowed a greater number of people to learn about them, especially those in the surrounding locality.

On social media, politicians are able to forward their agenda with great ease because most of the messages are tailored based on the demographic data. This simply increases the impact. Then, there is the snowball effect which takes a toll on people and once it is in effect, the number of users that align their views in accordance rise in an exponential manner.

All in all, social media is a great political tool that is used in a very organized manner when it comes to politics.