Social Media has created an era where information travels at the speed of clicks. With the different amount of social media platforms and the billions of social media users it creates a battleground for constant statements and opinions. With the content going up so much there is a phenomenon of viralality and the potential for more and more people to see it.
The Spiral of Going Viral
What is the term viral? It is when a piece of media information is circulated rapidly and widely from one internet user to another. Political people have tapped in and started to jump on the viral potential, crafting messages designed to provoke strong reactions or resonate deeply with specific audiences. memes, short videos, and catchy slogans have become to centerpiece of digital viralality. Below is a link that talks through viral politics.
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/viralpolitics
The Impact on Politics
Here are several ways that the viral nature has created a new way of communication in politics:
1. Power in voices
Social Media platforms are known for providing a megaphone for individuals whose voices would before have never been heard. It has allowed for people of unimportance to put in opinions and fake news out there with a oppurtunity for it to go viral.
2. Rapidness of Misinformation
Conspiracy theories and fake news have been a whole new beast since the upcoming of social media. False news has created a political problem with misinformation and bad influence within the information put online..
Althought there is so much more that can be discussed on the topic the viral factor has had a huge impact on the way that things are seen as far as politics and social media. Become more informed and have a better understand on what is true and what is viral.
I completely agree with your statement on the importance of becoming more informed and having a better understanding on what is true and viral. I think social media is a great tool to bring awareness to many issues that may not be highlighted on traditional news broadcasts but like you highlighted there is also the danger of misinformation. I believe it is our duty to be an informed citizen which means doing proper research on topics and not trusting the first headline we see.
ReplyDeleteGoing viral on the internet has become just another version of hitting it big as a rockstar or actor in the past, but nowadays that time in the spotlight is just vastly shorter (for most people at least). Politicians have been using stuff like that to try getting more attention on them, or for building up more of a base. For example, Kyle Rittenhouse used his moment in the spotlight from his legal cases to gain a more conservative following, and advocate as a gun reform opponent. He's managed to extend his fame by doing so, and the "power of his voice" as you put it (very good wording, it fits well) is magnified beyond what he could have done if he hadn't gone viral.
ReplyDeleteThe impact that social media has had on social media nowadays is almost borderline alarming. I completely agree with your stance on the rapid spread of misinformation that social media allows without any fact checking that is so openly accessible to the public. I feel it plays a huge role in shaping political views or stance. This doesn't refute the argument that social media has had a positive impact in spreading news and that accessibility is necessarily a negative thing, I just feel misinformation shouldn't be so easily spread especially with matters concerning politics.
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