In This Assignment, You Will Be Addressing The Impact Of Soc

In this assignment, you will be addressing the impact of social media on the

In this assignment, you will be addressing the impact of social media on the 2016 presidential election. This assignment must be a minimum of words. Points will be deducted for not meeting the minimum word requirement. Read the articles at the links below and then answer the following questions:

  • http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/2016-election-social-media-ruining-politics-213104
  • http://www.govtech.com/social/2016-Presidential-Election-Circus-Is-Social-Media-the-Cause.html
  • http://www.cio.com/article//social-networking/how-social-media-is-shaping-the-2016-presidential-election.html

Questions to Address:

  1. Based upon the articles above, how has social media influenced the 2016 presidential elections? Has this influence been positive or negative? You must cite specific examples from the articles in response to these questions. Points will be deducted for not citing the articles directly.
  2. Do you agree or disagree with the arguments made in the articles regarding social media? Why or why not?

Paper For Above instruction

The 2016 United States presidential election marked a significant turning point in the role of social media within political campaigns. Multiple articles, including those from Politico, GovTech, and CIO, highlight that social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram played a pivotal role in shaping public opinion, mobilizing voters, and influencing campaign strategies. However, the impact of social media on the election is complex, with both positive and negative consequences that continue to be debated among scholars and political analysts.

One of the primary ways social media influenced the 2016 election was by democratizing the dissemination of information. As discussed in the Politico article (2015), social media provided candidates, campaign teams, and grassroots movements with direct access to voters, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. This enabled politicians like Donald Trump to communicate instantly with large audiences, often using provocative or unfiltered messages that garnered immediate attention. For example, Trump's use of Twitter was instrumental in building his brand and rallying supporters, a phenomenon that exemplifies the positive aspect of social media—enhancing political engagement and outreach.

However, the articles also emphasize the negative implications of this influence. The GovTech article (2016) raises concerns about the proliferation of misinformation and fake news, which spread rapidly through social media platforms during the campaign. The ease with which false or misleading information could be shared contributed to a polarized electorate and potentially swayed undecided voters. For instance, fake news stories claiming voter fraud or promoting conspiracy theories about candidates undermined trust in the electoral process. Such developments suggest that social media's influence was detrimental, exacerbating divisions and complicating fact-based political discourse.

The CIO article (2016) further notes that social media transformed the nature of political advertising, making it more targeted and personalized. While this allowed campaigns to tailor messages to specific demographic groups, it also raised ethical questions about data privacy and micro-targeting. For example, algorithms could identify vulnerabilities within certain voter segments and bombard them with tailored content, sometimes exploiting these vulnerabilities. This level of targeting has been criticized for undermining the transparency of political campaigns and manipulating voter behavior.

Considering the arguments presented, I tend to agree with the articles' perspectives that social media's influence on the 2016 election was largely negative. The spread of misinformation, the potential for manipulation, and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions are serious concerns. Nevertheless, social media also played a positive role by increasing political engagement among younger voters and providing avenues for grassroots mobilization that traditional media could not achieve. Still, the overall effect appears to have heightened polarization and contributed to the spread of false information, which ultimately undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

In my view, these insights highlight the necessity for stronger regulation and oversight of social media platforms, particularly regarding the spread of misinformation and data privacy. As social media continues to be integral to political campaigns, policymakers must implement measures that promote transparency, protect voter information, and combat disinformation. Only through such reforms can the positive potential of social media be harnessed while mitigating its harmful effects on democracy.

References

  • Politico Magazine. (2015). How social media is ruining politics. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/2016-election-social-media-ruining-politics-213104
  • GovTech. (2016). The 2016 presidential election circus: Is social media the cause? Retrieved from http://www.govtech.com/social/2016-Presidential-Election-Circus-Is-Social-Media-the-Cause.html
  • CIO. (2016). How social media is shaping the 2016 presidential election. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article//social-networking/how-social-media-is-shaping-the-2016-presidential-election.html
  • Boulianne, S. (2015). Social Media Use and Political Participation: A Meta-Analysis. Information, Communication & Society, 18(5), 524-538.
  • Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211-36.
  • Faris, R., et al. (2017).-partisan Facebook networks during the 2016 election. Science Advances, 3(3), e1600757.
  • Kreiss, D. (2016). Prototype Politics: The New Campaign Machinery. Oxford University Press.
  • Tucker, J. A., et al. (2018). Social media, political polarization, and political disinformation: A review of the scientific literature. Science, 360(6389), 1140-1145.
  • Chadwick, A., & Stromer-Galley, J. (2016). Digital Media, Power, and Democratic Politics. Oxford University Press.
  • Vicari, V. (2017). Ethics and social media in political campaigns. Journal of Political Marketing, 16(2), 182-198.

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