Getting Political on Social Networks
Liking and sharing on Facebook function like campaign yard signs. Photo by Nathan Bernier/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
By Autumn Caviness for KUT News and ReportingTexas.com
With this year’s Texas primaries less than two weeks away, candidates are blanketing the state, speaking to as many voters as they can in an effort to engage and gain support. But while candidate bumper stickers and yards signs mark support for older voters, the younger generation prefers a more subtle approach.
A 2009 Pew Research Center study indicates that 10 percent of Internet users 18 and older have used a social networking site for some sort of political or civic engagement. Break out younger voters, 18 to 29, and that number jumps to 37 percent.
That’s not exactly a tidal wave of civic engagement, but UT Austin’s student body president, Thor Lund, says that for college students it feels like marching in the streets.
“Social media is a huge tool to get people interested in things, and honestly, the biggest way to create interest — to spur the civic engagement — is numbers, people being involved,” Lund said. “So whether or not someone thinks it’s a civic engagement issue that they’re starting out and that they’re trying to do, when people get behind an idea, the power of people is amazing.”
And when you’ve got a full semester and an evening job, being able to click “like” before studying can make a student feel engaged without taking up too much time.
“When we’re tabling and fliering, we let folks know, hey, like us on Facebook, even if you can’t come at every meeting, even if you can’t be there physically, at least be aware of what we’re doing,” said Huey Fischer, president of the UT Democrats. “So that way, when you do have time, when you can make a commitment, you’ll know what’s up.”
Morley Winograd, co-author of Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America, views hitting the “like” button as comparable to putting up a traditional political yard sign. So when a friend visits your Facebook page, as when dropping by your house, they’ll see who and what you support.
Winograd says making these initial statements of support online can then lead to a stronger outward showing of support.
“Certainly there is that level of engagement at that point, but I think real engagement involves translating that online enthusiasm into offline activity,” he said.
And with the Texas primaries less than two weeks away, these digital connections can remind people to reach the pinnacle of civic engagement. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, has 1.6 million “likes” on Facebook. Rep. Ron Paul has more than 900,000. Supporters in Texas will likely get digital reminders to vote ahead of the May 29 primary.
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