Voting and Social Media: A Time When a Repost Could Spark the Revolution

Written by Sydney Ford

It’s no secret that social media has become an integral part of daily life. We check our feeds for updates on loved ones, the latest pop culture scandal, and heavy-hitting news. Even our politicians have realized how important this particular medium can be in reaching their target audiences.

From documenting their minglings with the people, to more explicit advertising material and of course sharing their candid thoughts on particular issues-- politicians are taking to the streets of social media to connect and influence. Twitter still remains the number one hub for candidates and elects to communicate with the people. However, Instagram is quickly rising. They have begun to find themselves falling into the culture as there have been several memes, gifs, and of course memorable videos surrounding a number of political figures.  

The presidential electoral season has the potential to send media into a frenzy. For months, consumption is laced with bits of political jargon and ever-increasing candidacy chatter leading up to the selection of our presidential elect. Opinions are formed that seem to be bandwagon notions and misinformation from whatever has ping-ponged across consumer’s social feed.

It’s with these crumbs of information, a few Millennials find themselves scurrying to the polls to cast a misguided vote. Having little success in actually shifting the needle for reform in their communities, they still rejoice. They are now able to showcase their entry into the wave of “I voted” sticker-posters on social media. That is if they’d even put forth the effort into voting. 

Let’s not forget our fallen friends stuck behind a cellphone screen, thumbs at the ready, contributing their patriotism in the form of a ‘like’ notification. At some point, it has to set in that posting is not the same as educating and participating. Voting is more than a vehicle for social clout. In an era when Instagram has taken the place of formal news outlets, what is the real impact that it’s having on our voting process?

The increased activity makes way for a rise in the consumption of a once unpopular subject. More than anything, it affords us an opportunity to discuss the highs and the lows of Instapolitics with our peers. Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming number of ‘gramers’ that are all too ready to lean into the facade of being “woke”. They sit atop a false high ground slinging carefully crafted posts and dropping their mic while they wait for the ‘likes’ to roll in. 

In wielding their consciousness as a weapon against the lesser, they’ve forgotten that preaching about being for the people means next to nothing if it’s not an active practice. Using their knowledge to destigmatize political speech; providing an accessible conversation with their followers could be the beginning of a whole new revolution. Conversations surrounding our gripes within this political climate and what actions we can take would spread with the fury of a meme wildfire, it just takes one person to start the forum.  

It may feel much easier to criticize results without having engaged, but silence is equally as detrimental to progress. Disengagement is simply a passively heinous form of self-sabotage. Politics is not something that black and brown people have the option to opt-out of. As it stands, we are the most vulnerable peoples. 

There are laws in place set to insidiously target our communities, and yet we remain properly muzzled by our own ignorance. When faced with issues such as a healthcare crisis, outlandish deportation laws, police brutality, women’s inequities, and even policies that aid in the destruction of our environment; hiding behind a reposted sentiment simply isn’t enough. The platforms that are created out in cyberland aren’t just for sharing information but should be used to create conversations surrounding it. 

When an issue is identified, our social contributions be a part of the rectification. Rather than allowing a point of despondency to be crippling, it is in that recognition that we should find a call to action. Civic engagement is paramount to empowering ourselves and our communities. It is up to the conscious to speak to the masses in a language that they can understand, tweets and hashtags. Our interactions can begin a shift towards the change that we need. 

Bio:

This Detroit native has always found solace in the written word. Formally trained as a journalist, Sydney uses her voice to make a difference. Writing for various minority-owned publications was just the beginning. Over the past 4 years, Sydney has created a literacy enrichment organization, Urban Glass, dedicated to providing equity in academia. When she isn’t reporting, and running her businesses, Sydney is working on her first novel which will debut on her blog! Find out more about her upcoming projects at TheSydneyFord.com.