Social media is simply an online tool and digital platform that enables users to create and share content of videos, voice and writings, social media is a fast-growing medium, becoming a tool that aids everything spanning from religion down to political activities. Social media platforms like X, formally Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so on, are strong platforms preachers as well as politicians in my country use as a medium to preach the Gospel and to also pass out information or create awareness to the public in respect to their intentions of running for an office, their memoranda and also as a campaign ground.
Social media serves as a platform that presents us with news and information on happening events, this information serves as an awareness that affects our response in our daily lives. The days of newspapers and watching the news on TV channels are soon coming to an end, I can remember how my father always brought home Daily Trust newspapers and The Nation every day while coming back from work, which always kept me wondering if he used to read them all.
image source
The newspaper business has become less lucrative as news agencies have also adapted to the use of social media and online platforms to disseminate its news to the public, the newspapers are printed less these days as a result of that. This is so because social media as a tool has become the fastest, most convenient and also the cheapest means to disseminate information, making anybody with access to a mobile device and the internet an influencer and content creator, although occupied by the populace of various age groups, the more dominant group present on the social media space are the young ones who have the most influence in a credible election.
IMAGE GENERATED BY AI
This has made every serious and honest politician present on the social media space know what is happening around and also how to tackle the populace on the social media platforms. Social media has a strong influence on the population regarding politics and the right of each individual to vote this affects elections and campaigns as people can share their perspective and political views to others influencing their choices on who to vote. Social media encourages freedom of speech and expression, and for a politician to know the thoughts of his proposed voters he needs a presence on social media, this places pressure on the politicians and the government to act toward the changes the members of the communities expect from them causing a lot of these politicians to have offices like that of a social media aide.
In the last election in my country, we saw how social media had a strong impact on the election process causing every politician and political party to tie their belts tightly and participate fully in the campaigns on social media, the Obidient movement was the strongest of all having the younger generations support causing serious roar in the social media and bringing forth serious competition between all political participants.
Social media has become a powerful tool shaping how information and news are passed down, how it has influenced political campaigns and how we interact with our political leaders. The adoption of social media by the younger generation makes social media have a strong influence on political activities today.
My name is @rishagamo and this is my response to the Weekly Featured Content Week 162 Episode 01 – “SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLITICS”
Posted Using INLEO
