Impact of social media on Elections
Introduction To Politics
                              Impact of social media on Elections
Introduction:
It is a social media and technology issue that is the reality of our world today. When chairmen
use social media as a platform to campaign, minority groups and young voters reach them and
encourage them to participate in the election. What a presidential candidate does or fails to do in
social media will influence his campaign to become the next US president or the next vice versa.
For Americans, this is important since we use this media every day and it's a new way for
citizens to engage and learn from presidential campaigns This is the topic I have chosen for my
research in American politics because I certainly believe in social media and its effect in almost
everything in our world, not just Presidential campaigns. The funny thing about social media is
that we read it on an Ipad, phone, or computer in a written language. For this reason, the words
can be understood as the reader thinks that this person speaks. Social media can be a very
frightening thing for a celebrity or presidential candidate, because it encourages you to connect
with young voters through social media such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. At the same
time, however, it is extremely important to take a close look at how people read it and how they
post it. It is difficult at times to see how this person said something when you read something on
a social media platform. It is hard to say what they meant to say and how they acted as they
wrote it. For many reasons, the presidential candidate uses social media for his campaign, which
can have some impact on the day of the election. During my research, I discovered 4 important
reasons why social media can influence elections, candidates use it for direct voter contact,
publicity without actually paying for advertising, get their campaign and government problems
viral, and ultimately the great controversy between social media and campaigning. The use of
social media for your President's campaign has been an indispensable factor in President's
running, and while President Trump is being discussed in this regard mainly, we can thank
President Barak Obama for the start of the very "millennial" change during the Presidential
Campaign 2016.
Literature review:
While the wider public typically uses social media and social networking to express thinking and
ideas, the individual content produced is seldom professional, with the name of the profile itself.
Professional communicators are well-known to have made speeches at press conferences for the
President of the United States. It may be due to the absence of time to produce quality content
for the president or to the factual knowledge of writing and delivering a speech on a particular
topic to the public. These cases are most common to very high-profile political candidates who
are seeking professional communicators to communicate effectively with the public. Content on
behalf of political candidates to public opinion and voting publics are written and published by
professional communicators. Nadler (2016) writes that the news and media often give the public
what they are trying to hear to get their news network recognized by the public and to cause
candidates to react to fake news. Such answers must be simple, honest, and factual, and often
best built by professional communicators. The digital marketing approach among all industries is
growing, which in the end makes social media a strong marketing force. According to Nadler
(2016), the journalistic marketing approach is focused on feedback from consumers, driving
news producers' actions, including their presentation and presentation of current events, products,
and discussions in the media. This demand-driven approach allows journalists both a chance and
a difficulty, as consumer feedback is almost unpredictable. Accurate data feedback is enabled by
marketing and data distribution systems. As Pelet (2019) states, marketing information systems
enable analysts to access data on how consumers respond to ads, whether or not they follow the
company's accounts or like their jobs. This data can be used to improve the company's marketing
and brand strategy.
Halordai (2019) explains that the knowledge revealed by big data leads to greater marketing,
which provides conclusions to the challenges of marketing. The frequency of online surveys and
communities allows large data in marketing to easily be applied to political campaigning. Jamil
(2019) writes that the retention online of a candidate's supporters has reflected this. Two aspects
come to our head of social media as far as current events are concerned; our previous president
Donald Trump and his intense Twitter feed and how his presidential campaign has affected, and
how his current presidency has affected it, and then how this brings us to his current public
prosecution testimony and how social media has affected it. Donald Trump is known to have a
presidential 'celebrity' camp, which has helped him to win the 2016 campaign according to some
of them. "His celebrity brand and marketing strategy are tipping points for his victory, according
to the three marketing and change management experts" (Rivero, 2016).
The presidential election cycle of 2012 was widely seen as the first round of elections that
incorporated social media and used them heavily in strategic marketing (Newman 2016).
Romney was the first to enter a social network with a profile on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
Tumblr, Google+, and YouTube while it was present on different social media platforms. Obama
not only used these profiles to relay his platform to the electorates but also used it to interact,
gain answers and interest by communicating online (Yanes and Carter 2012). Although Obama's
campaign team's main aim was to promote his camp, it still held consumer-driven ideas and
worked humanistically rather than commercially to reflect Obama's values and character.
The political strategy takes into account historic trends of the candidates, government
regulations, and ways of communicating the platform of candidates, says Farrar-Myers and
Vaughn (2015). Vaughn A campaign for the presidency is built on the plans and intentions for
and plans for the United States of America. Nadler (2016) states that candidates must remain true
and honest to themselves and find creative ways to engage the public. The digital translation of a
platform presents challenges because communication in persons cannot be digitally replicated
As mentioned earlier, social media in all industries have had an incredible impact during the last
decade. In the middle of the so-called digital era, society uses the media to collect all information
on current events. Political campaign managers adapted and experienced great success in the use
of social media marketing. Social media is changing the candidate game and expanding the
political sphere. Candidates and voters participate more directly than ever but at the expense of
their judgment and understanding.
Research method:
An initial survey was built using the University of South Florida's software Qualtrics. This
survey has been developed to detect legal voters' behaviours and trends in the USA. The survey
consists of approximately 15 questions, both multiple options and free replies which enable
survey participants to fully communicate their thoughts and concerns on each issue. This survey
was conducted to collect original data to reflect how the public opinion on voters and candidates
is influenced by social media marketing in political campaigns The principal aim of the survey
was to clarify how voters participate in political activities on social media platforms. This survey
was sent to people of the eligible voting age with no residency limits. The content of the survey
in the U.S. was directed to all voters, regardless of their use in social media. The link to the
survey was distributed via direct message and posted from multiple accounts on various social
media networks. The survey link to Facebook pages by the University of South Florida provided
an insight into my data by young voters into my research issue and a unique insight into it. The
thousand-year generation has all been born in the years 1980-1999 and is the age group in which
most of the participants of my survey fell. This distribution method resulted in exact 334 answers
and a large number of data for the use of the Qualtrics Survey Software.
On questioning how to view fellow voters in social media, participants noted that they had
debated (101), reposted (84), discussed (41), flamed (31), and supported (25). Participants also
revealed that through discussion (80), debate (55), repost (42), flames (33), 16, and support (30),
they observe political candidates participating in social media. It is important to remember that
political candidates or electorates who engage in political activities cannot be followed by all
participants. The individual’s preference for profiles can simply be the result of a lack of an
excess observation of political commitment. This is because social media can be customized.
This data from the Qualtrics survey reveals a sample from various social media platforms of the
views of voters and candidates. Researchers have stated that social media policy often coincides
with the poll results at the end of an electoral cycle. This is because voting people can choose
whether or not to allow their voting advertising and activity during a political election cycle. Of
the study participants, 134 say that they can influence their voting on political engagement, while
124 say they don't, and 43 say it will.
Findings and results:
As an eligible citizen, voting is a civic obligation and those who elect to vote must decide how
they engage in online and offline political activity. Technology, but more particularly social
media, affects the majority of society in the middle of what is known as the digital age. It is
because of the culture that social media have established that the connection is strong between
those working in social media and those engaged in political activity online. Social
communication is driven by the idea of social trends, whether it's a mode, mantras, pictures, or
political ideas. Political interests are increasing among all parties, with high involvement among
various social media platforms. In the middle of political election cycles. The results of the
Qualtrics survey reveal that voters and candidates use social media in many ways during the
cycle of political elections. Voters tend to witness interactions, including discussion and
discussion of political issues, between voters. Social media was developed as a social network
and, as users actively interact with one another, this is achieved. Of those who responded to the
survey, the majority claim to participate in political activity by reposting and defending
questions. Online participation varies according to the circumstances of the individual, but it is
interesting to see that most voters accept positive action personally. Reposting and advocating
are both engagement actions that support a candidate or idea, while actions such as discussions
are driven by argument or challenge. The respondents were more likely to admit they
participated in positive participation, whilst they did not hesitate to indicate more negative
activity for fellow voters or candidates. It is difficult to remove one conclusion, but it reveals that
one has individualized one's experience in social media.
These results lead them to explore further how social networks affect all voters and whether they
are led to decide whether or not to vote. More research may also look for adjustments to be made
in social media so that freedom of expression is promoted in a more comfortable environment.
Social media could find themselves in a better and more acceptable place by encouraging
positive political activity and giving consequences in the face of negative activity. The use of
positive political participation could diminish the population of those with social media
dampening their political interest.
Discussion:
In the past decade, election campaigns have used social media more and more to influence the
public's views of candidates. Social networking is an online communication network that enables
the audience to generate original content, including on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter. While every platform provides different ways of expression to the public, all platforms
focus on the concept of social networking. Due to the great success of using social media during
political campaigns and the increase in electoral interest, the candidates began to normalize
social media use during political campaigns. "President Obama was the first president to use
social media effectively before it got as omnipresent as today" (Green, 2016). He built an Ask
Me Anything forum on Reddit and quickly became one of the most influential topics of all time.
It is no strange that now we see many presidential candidates on Twitter, and/or on Facebook,
doing the same. It is the start of these social media campaigns. When it comes to what he shares
on Twitter and everybody knows this, President Donald Trump is not a shy leader. Anything he
said on this forum encouraged the citizens of this country to make their judgment, either by
pulling people away from him or by drawing people in to help him. All this depends on various
individuals and their convictions, and whether that is the same as President Trump.
This subject concentrates mainly on the impact of the Social Network on the next president of
our country. The presidential candidates will be seen by millions of American citizens on these
social media sites, who will then vote based on what they see. This will also decide who operates
our country due to what is shared on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and several other social
networking sites. Our Chief Commander is in charge of many things in our world and it is
therefore essential for our countries to determine who performs the roles of this important job.
The most important thing you can do when you run for president is campaigning. Social media
will help your campaign even more, and potentially help you to become president. However, it
depends on how and how you use social media in your favor. When presidents campaign across
the country and on social media, they let people know the subjects that matter to them and how
they change the subjects if they are president. These campaigns as voters are really interesting
because you can learn more about the candidates and see if their views are on your own. We
want to ensure that you vote for the right person to become the next president and that you vote
for the person that pushes for the same change in our countries as you are, if you go to the
election stand blind and unknowing to any candidate. Social media, particularly for a century like
me, can help with this.
Unfortunately, his post on Twitter has been a major controversy among the people of the past
few years for President Trump. His extreme opinion that he is not afraid to share on this forum
opened the doors to more controversy often spread by news stations. His absurd remarks end up
viral to the entire world (considering he has over 5 million followers). At the same time, I feel
like the President understands what he's doing in these intense posts and uses it for his benefit,
and gives people more exposure and a way to speak with him to monitor everything. We have
now come to another event with all this uproar with President Trump; the House of
Representatives will try to prosecute him for the fourth time in our history. Though he is facing
this potential challenge, it is not surprising that during this time he did not remain silent on his
favorite social media site, Twitter. "Sixty-eight percent of Americans got at least some social
media in 2018, according to the Pew Research Centre" " (Kirst, 2019). With that in mind and the
public hearings for this prosecution, you will know about what is going on, regardless of where
you are because many social media will always be in the hands. People with Trump (Democrats
and Republicans) won't only strive to get the reality out of it, but would also take care of the
extent to which social media exposure is maximized.
Conclusion:
As a millennial year, I always find it interesting to see how our generation today affects and
changes the world. The increase in social media is one way to do this. It can be difficult to be a
young voter sometimes, as you are pulled in every direction at times. I still understand what my
beliefs are and what situations and topics my views and views on these issues are important to
me, yet at the same time, I realize that the opinions I had because of my parents are the opposite
of them. This at times may be a hard pill to swallow, so I learn more about politics and gain my
views and at times feel that because of the opposite views of my parent I need to keep them with
myself. One thing I know is that Social Media and Presidential campaigns are risky and
situations and subjects "bloom up" due to the high demand for social media platforms. With
technological advances continuing, this will undoubtedly continue to change policy.
Through a review of past research and the development of original research, this research has
shown the significant impact of social media in policy campaigns. Social media aim to build a
strong brand via social networking and original content production. Political candidates can
participate directly and influence the voting public via various social media platforms. In such a
digitally focused world, voters have difficulty finding a common ground for genuine human
communication and mobilization of the media. Political activity on social media platforms makes
voters and candidates perceive each other. The research carried out in this study showed that
their political interest could be dimmed or reinforced, whether or not voters choose to engage in
online policy activities. Candidates are the campaign leaders who ultimately give the public an
example of online behavior and trends. Candidates' behavior online means voters' responses.
Voting people are seeking an environment that is more acceptable and positive to express their
thoughts freely online that cannot be achieved without cohesive cooperation between voters and
candidates.
                                          References:
Bossetta, M. (2020). Scandalous Design: How Social Media Platforms’ Responses to Scandal
Impacts Campaigns and Elections. Social Media + Society, 6(2), 205630512092477.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120924777
Green, R. Kay. “The Game Changer: Social Media and the 2016 Presidential Election.”
HuffPost,    HuffPost,     16     Nov.     2016,     www.huffpost.com/entry/the-game-changer-
socialm_b_8568432.
Ermann, U., & Hermanik, K. (2018). Branding the nation, the place, the product (First Edition
ed.). New York: Routledge.
Frantzich, S. E. (2016). Newman, bruce I.: The marketing revolution in politics: What recent
U.S. presidential campaigns can teach us about effective marketing American Library
Association CHOICE.
Haldorai, A., & Ramu, A. (2019). Big data analytics for sustainable computing. Hershey, PA:
Engineering Science Reference, an imprint of IGI Global.
Horst, P. (2018). Marketing in the #fakenews era: New rules for a new reality of tribalism,
activism, and loss of trust. Charleston, SC: Advantage.
Information Resources Management Association. (2017). Advertising and branding: Concepts,
methodologies, tools, and applications. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Kuypers, J. A. (2018). The 2016 american presidential campaign and the news: Implications for
american democracy and the republic. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books.
Marder, B., Ben.Marder@ed.ac.uk. (2018). Trumped by context collapse: Examination of
‘Liking’ political candidates in the presence of audience diversity. Computers in Human
Behavior, 79, 169-180. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.10.025
NPR Cookie Consent and Choices. Npr.org. (2021). Retrieved 17 May 2021, from
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/27/860369744/social-media-usage-is-at-an-all-time-high-that-
could-mean-a-nightmare-for-democr.
Pelet, J. (2019). Advanced web applications and progressing e-learning 2.0 technologies in
higher education. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference.
Rishi, B., & Bandyopadhyay, S. (2017). Contemporary issues in social media marketing (1
Edition ed.). New York: Routledge.
Rivero, C. “How Marketing Helped Donald Trump Win the 2016 Election.” Washington Post,
2016, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/trump-campaignmarketing/
Rodgers, S., & Thorson, E. (2019). Advertising theory (Second ed.). Abingdon, Oxon ; New
York, NY: Routledge.
Social Media’s Impact on the 2020 Presidential Election: The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly.      Spac.umd.edu.         (2021).    Retrieved      17       May       2021,      from
https://spac.umd.edu/news/story/social-mediarsquos-impact-on-the-2020-presidential-election-
the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly.
“What Will Social Media Do for Politics in the Future?” Tech.Co, 20 Dec. 2016,
tech.co/news/social-media-politics-future-2016-12. “Social Media.” Donald Trump 2016, 2016,
sites.middlebury.edu/trump/twitter