Politics and Social Media – Uneasy Alliance
Politics and Social Media – Social media has all but taken over the traditional media. Smartphone and computer impact almost every aspect of daily life. Technology, especially in communication, had grown so far and so fast that even Star Trek looks outdated.
Gone are the days when people used to rush home from work to catch the 7 or 9 o’clock news. Times have changed social media has taken ownership of global media markets.
Politics has not been left behind and it’s now shrinking to fit into our smartphones. Social media has developed a new way to influence society. Barrack Obama’s election campaign in 2008, “occupy wall street and the Egyptian revolution or Arab spring in the middle east all had one thing in common “influence of social media.”
The power of social media today is based on interaction and participation, which is mostly based on social aspects. In political campaigns creating a social media strategy is now an essential part of any candidate running for office. Interestingly political candidates who want to win must understand it is essential to get connected. Socially sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram provide a great communication gateway. They enable politicians to engage large numbers of potential voters fast. Social media strategies are attractive due to low cost and great access. Thus enabling politicians to engage followers, have their message heard and in the age of the smartphone this can be anywhere anytime.
On a more positive side, social media has helped to break the barriers between a politician and voters. According to a study done by Ipsos MORI and Kings College London, the report found out that voters had mixed attitudes towards the impact of social media and political debates.
Politics and Social Media – Australian Impact
Most Australians are using social media as a source of information and this will likely influence the Australian federal election 2nd July 2016. Technology empowers people to share their thoughts and ideas through political posts, articles and memes .
Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten are both active on social media, the two candidates have a great chance to interact with voters and win their trust and market their policy’s
Australia has become a key platform in communication according to the Australian Bureau of statistics. Facebook has 15million users, that’s a significant percentage of 24 million Australians. )Please account many may not all be active, or possibly spam accounts).
Social media in politics has made elected officials and candidate running for public office to be more accountable. Consequently, they also have a chance to raise large sums of money in a short period of time using social media campaigns. However, politicians are more vulnerable online because there is no separation between public and private life.
Take time to enjoy:
#auspol – Australia’s most popular hashtag 2016Mr Turnbull – His Greatest Achievement
Main Image Source : Pixabay
Also See : Instilling Social Consciousness Is A Priority For Australian Parents
Australian Manufacturing How We can Bring Jobs Back Down Under
