By Prashansa Srivastava
With political discourse steadily shrinking to fit our smartphone screens, Facebook is introducing many features to increase accessibility for political leaders and enhance civic engagement.
Your representative “liked” your post
Facebooks new feature will allow users to address elected government officials directly through posts. While expressing political concerns, individuals will be able to contact their representatives, prompting their friends and family members to do the same. Facebook has also launched local election reminders in an attempt to increase voter turnout.
For elected officials, Facebook is launching a new feature, Constituent Insights, which is much like the already existing feature, Page Insights. It will allow elected officials to learn which content and local news stories are popular in their district so that they can voice their opinions on the matter. Another feature, District Targeting will help elected officials to gather feedback from their constituencies through posts and polls that are targeted towards only those who are actually living in their particular district.
Encouraging political participation through social media
These new features are being introduced under Facebooks Town Hall platform. Currently available only to American users, it will allow them to locate, follow and contact their local, state and federal government representatives. It will help elected officials to be more involved with their communities. This represents a growing effort on the behalf of Facebook to be a part of the political process and the dialogue surrounding policy issues.
The Internet and social media are very powerful tools that can influence and shape human behaviour. The I Voted badge, for instance, is a simple tool used to flaunt the fulfilment of one’s civic responsibility but it is also an instrument used to create social pressure and encourage others to vote. Facebook and other social networking sites such as Twitter and YouTube have played a significant role in the recent outbreaks of political protests and resistance. They have helped create both individual and political awareness about multiple campaigns. The instant connection that social networks provide increases political interest and participation, especially among the youth.
Great minds think alike, too alike
Social media has evolved as a platform for informational and political exchanges. However, it has always been known for perpetuating the confirmation bias i.e. favouring information that confirms previously held beliefs or biases. This is exacerbated when it comes to highly controversial topics such as politics. Facebook is popular and addictive because it learns about what people are most likely to be interested in, and generates a customised news feed according to that. With most people on a users friend list having the same outlook, Facebook users end up reading news that has already been filtered by their more assiduous peers. Facebook, then, serves as an echo chamber of ideas and beliefs. This restricts any exposure to information that may contradict the user’s viewpoint. Facebook has also been criticised for its impact on the 2016 U.S election and its failure to curb the rampant misinformation.
Twitter’s power of candour
Politicians are effectively using social media to influence attitudes about themselves and even shape outcomes of their campaigns. This kind of megalomania is even more evident on the micro-blogging site, Twitter, which has emerged as a vehicle for self-promotion. Candidates boast and insult each other openly on the platform, influencing their staggering number of followers. Political discourse has become increasingly crass, with the seniormost officeholders resorting to petty back and forth dialogue without any tact. Twitter has become a cesspool of disinformation, intimidation and discrimination. The more shocking and visceral a message, the longer it holds the public eye.
Social media has played a vital role in transforming the political landscape. It is bringing honesty and hostility to democracy. It helps to make voters both politically engaged and enraged. With more and more sites introducing governance related features, it is evident that the integration of social media with politics is here to stay.
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