Social media has invaded all facets of your lives, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. Whatever people say about social media, one thing is for sure, it is here to stay and it shows no signs of going away. As a matter of fact, it has become more powerful than we could ever have imagined years ago. It has the power to sway masses and influence minds. It is a force which is to be reckoned with and if you want to be successful in today’s society, you better use it to your advantage.
One of the areas where social media matters according to some people, is politics, specifically elections. However, not everyone believes this because it if were true, Ron Paul would have already won the elections.
Too much hype?
Many people are now saying that there is just too much hype with social media and that it is not as influential as it was first made out to be. According to a recent study, there is no reliable evidence to indicate the influence of Twitter on election results. No, this is not because of the fiasco with Mitt Romney’s Twitter during the last elections in the US.
It turns out that there has been so much exaggeration over what social media can and cannot do, particularly Twitter. According to Daniel Gayo-Avello, a computer science professor, the people who are influenced by social media are only marginal. The tweets by voters also do not reflect how voters behave.
This applies to more than just Twitter but also to other social media platforms. Although some candidates may have fans but these people are not easily swayed by campaigns. There is a growing number of young people who have social media accounts and discuss politics but do not even vote.
Although some candidates may have more Facebooks fans and Twitter followers than others, this does not assure them a win in the elections. Take for instance Mitt Romney who has more than a million followers in Twitter who still did not win the elections.
Empty Nest
Raw followers are just an empty asset. It is not indicative of a win or a loss in elections. Followers do not have the power to predict the outcome of elections. Although to some it might be able to reflect how well-liked a candidate is, people who like you may not vote for you. On the other end of the spectrum are people who do not like you. They may not have much love for a candidate but they might still end up voting for that candidate.
Young people and social media
Young people dominate social media; this is a fact which cannot be denied. After all, it is the young people who are tech-savvy and internet-savvy. However, young people vote in negligible numbers. They do not have much influence on voting outcomes. It seems that the young generation is inundated with non-voting but politically engaged. If they are to change, then we might see a shift in election outcomes.