When you cast your vote, is it really YOU who is voting? Or has user 1937492833 on twitter helped shape your decision? With the American election fast approaching, it is crucial that the only thing influencing your vote is your own belief. Social media is already a pervasive presence in our lives and now it is impacting our voting decisions.
Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government, expressed in periodic and genuine elections.’ This is your vote, no one else’s.
The first and main impact of social media on voting, is that it can change votes, and therefore an election outcome. People may have an idea of who they will be voting for, but after scrolling through sites like Twitter and Instagram, their vote may be pointed towards a completely different candidate.
Social media can also generate either support or opposition towards a candidate, which could be an opinion formed by a large majority.
Social networking sites are notorious for spreading fake news which can, in turn, influence a voting decision.
The information fed to us via social media is overwhelming. For some, this may simply influence them to not vote, because of the huge amount of information there is to process. They may not know which option to go with because there are so many varied sources influencing them.
A blame game
“We must be held accountable for reading, reacting, and exposing ourselves to such knowledge”
So, who is to blame for the negative impacts of social media on voting? As much as we would all like to attack social networking sites for creating this problem, we are also at fault. We allow ourselves to intake and accept this information, sometimes without even checking its validity. We must also be held accountable for reading, reacting, and exposing ourselves to such knowledge.
Influencers and celebrities can also be held responsible. Some people may idolise influencers and celebrities to the extent that they deem their political beliefs to be the correct way of thinking. These individuals may not actually have a lot of political knowledge; how do we know that what they are preaching is true and an accurate representation of a particular candidate? After all, they are celebrities, not political manifestos. We cannot use them as an authentic source of information on each party and their proposals.
Those members of family and friends who continually spread their political views on social media or even in real life, may also have an impact on our votes. Peer pressure is a considerable determining factor in, the often forced, voting decision.
Politicians, too, have control that extends beyond their own policies. Platforms like Twitter have garnered an atmosphere of debate and competition that sees politicians slander and criticise the work of their opponents. This could prevent an undecided voter from researching further, taking biased comments at face value.
Social media as a force for good
“Social media can be a great way to get information”
Despite its flaws, could the influence of social media be a positive? We firstly need to appreciate that social media is at least prompting constituents to actually vote. Many influencers are pushing the notion that we MUST vote, and the dangers of refraining.
For people who have little knowledge on politics or the election, social media can be a great way to get some information on these topics. Though this is a controversial method, it is still important that we appreciate its educative qualities.
Responsible voting
The most important thing to take away from this, is that you need to do your own research. Social media is not designed to be an educational platform and we cannot expect to get our information wholly from it. Read political manifestos, tune into political debates, and explore all other verified sources. Refrain from using opinionated sites like Twitter and Instagram to influence your vote, it is important you take in information that simply considers the facts and not opinions.
As ordinary people and users of social media, we need to think about how we contribute towards other people’s votes. From simply addressing our opinions on the election or its candidates, we could be swaying others. Before sharing, ensure you distinguish between what is fact and what is your opinion.
Always vote, and do so wisely!
Halimah Begum
Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.