Engage or Enrage

The two choices politicians have when using social media as a campaigning platform

Social media is unavoidable in today’s day and age, unless you decide to get rid of your smartphone. It is accessible to just about everyone and there is a variety of audiences on the internet. Because of this social media is a great tool for politicians to use, and they can choose to use it negatively or positively. How candidates choose to utilize social media can have consequences on their campaign and public image. 

Positive campaigning on social media can look like candidates engaging with voters, sharing their vision, and promoting their policies in an optimistic manner. The overall goals are to inspire voters, and to build trust between a candidate and voters. Politicians can highlight the goals they have achieved in the past and how they plan to achieve their goals for the future. Candidates are able to show their past achievements by sharing their success stories of other things they have done. They can show their plans through videos and posts about their position on important issues such as the environment, immigration, and the economy. By showcasing their plans, they can inspire voters to have hope for the future and changes that would be made. 

Building a parasocial relationship through social media is also very important. Some candidates do live streams or Q&A threads which helps to humanize them. This is another way to build trust with voters, and make them feel like they are being heard. Candidates are also able to mobilize grassroot support by encouraging voter registration and voting, and raising money for campaigns. Candidates are able to encourage their voters to get involved in a myriad of ways. They can also promote a civil and respectful attitude, which sets a positive tone for their image and personality. Social media is heavily criticized as a place for negative politics, but candidates can choose to show a better side of themselves. 

However, some candidates decide to show an uglier side of themselves. Social media is another great place to attack their rivals by exaggerating their flaws and failures. The most common form of negative campaigning is attack ads. Most attacks highlight a candidate’s past scandals or violations, and can be twisted to show how candidates may be “incompetent” for the job. Spreading misinformation or “fake news” can not only harm the opposing candidate, but can also create false views for voters. Voters can feel uncertain or fearful, and misinformation can easily manipulate uninformed voters.

Micro-targeting is a relatively new strategy where candidates target specific groups of voters. Negative messages can be tailored towards different demographics in order to get an emotional reaction out of them. These ads can spread anger, fear, and resentment towards other groups. Micro-targeting also promotes the idea of “us” against “them”. This only further polarizes voters, and it makes it seem as if only one politician or party is able to “fix the problem”.  When campaigns focus more on tearing down the opponent and not discussing solutions. Negative campaigning can also create distrust among voters and push them further away from the political scene.

Social media has drastically changed political campaigning. Politicians can either shape themselves in a positive or negative light, especially since their decision can have a long lasting impact on their public image. Positive campaigning is likely more effective than negative. Either way has both advantages and risks, and the impact it has on voters can last for a long time. 

Sources: 

Wike, Richard, Silver, Laura, Fetterolf, Janell, Huang, Christine, Austin, Sarah, Clancy, Laura, and Gubbala Sneha. “Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier.” Pew Research Center. December 6, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/12/06/social-media-seen-as-mostly-good-for-democracy-across-many-nations-but-u-s-is-a-major-outlier/ 

Lucas, Mike. “How Media - Namely News, Ads and Social Posts - Can Shape an Election.” Rutgers Today. October 1, 2024. https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-media-namely-news-ads-and-social-posts-can-shape-election 

Sides, John, Shaw, Daron, Grossmann, Matt, and Lipsitz, Kenna. Campaigns and Elections, New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2022. 4th Edition. Page 85-91.