Kara Mercer

Columnist

Point:

Social media sometimes gets a bad reputation, but can be good for getting information on the main points of a political candidate’s campaign.

Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat have become a popular way for political figures to spread their messages and gain a following. People are all over social media, especially college students. During the U.S. primaries, users are able to follow presidential candidates on their Snapchat stories.

Social media allows people in political positions to reach a broader audience.

NIU’s own student government uses social media as well. The Student Association at NIU has a Twitter account with 979 followers and a Facebook page with 1,625 likes as of Wednesday. Whenever the SA posts something on their Twitter or Facebook page, they reach their followers in a way they could not do by just hanging fliers around campus.

While decisions about a candidate should be based on more than just posts and shares, social media is still a good place to start to learn about a candidate for an election.

Social media is a good way for students to stay up to date on campaign while using something they are typically on anyway.

Kaylyn Zielinski

Columnist

Counter:

Social media is affecting political campaigns in different ways, but not for the better.

Social media has become a widely used tool in terms of political influence, not just for the typical user but also the politicians themselves. While social media can be a great outlet for politicians, voters should get more information on the candidates from other sources like live debates.

Thirty-nine percent of American adults use social media and of those, 66 percent have engaged in a civic or political activity on social media, according to the Pew Research Center.

Publicity, regardless of good or bad, can influence voters. Those who use social media to engage with politics need to remember that sharing a post or ‘liking’ one does not ensure their favorite candidate will win.

Some of the candidates running for Student Association positions have turned to Facebook to encourage students to vote for them. Students trying to figure out who to vote for should attend debates like the one being held today in the Holmes Student Center, Heritage Room, instead of trying to pick the best candidate based on their Facebook pages.