The Australian Electoral Commission has taken an interest in
using social media to engage potential voters to participate politically.
In Australia it has been demonstrated that social media has afforded benefits and new opportunities for engaging citizens in democratic processes.
Due viewership of traditional media are dwindling down among most demographic groups, especially among young people, the use of social media is increasingly rapid and offers increased access to voters and potential voters.
Another benefit is social media provide an engagement with citizens. Specifically it allows citizens to have a say and be heard.
Also social media can offer cost savings compared with the use of traditional mass media.
As there are always negatives to a positive. Social media has its downfalls. Social media use is personal and entertainment oriented. So some may question the truthfulness and severity of an issue put onto a social media network. There will always be that question.
Social media can spread criticism it can also facilitate disruptive information like spoofs,parodies, and fakes. Which means social media sites need to be managed. But social media can spread the good just as fast as it can spread the bad.
In a recent political analysis of political participation among youth in Australia concluded that
"The Internet is significant in shaping the relationship between youth participation policies and new political identities in the following ways: it is a unique and autonomous platform for the realization of project based political identities; it is a legitimizing space for new political practices of young people."
The use of the Internet and social media has changed the concept of political participation. If we pin traditional forms of political participation and new forms against each other you will see the change.
Traditional political participation included:
1. Membership of a political youth group , political party, union, etc.
2. Attendance at official political meetings and rallies
3. Formal submissions and Ministerial Letters
4. Voting
5. Reading traditional media.
New forms of political participation include:
1. Single issue and cause support
2. Online following, such as liking, viewing videos
3. Online commentating such as Wall posts, and blogs,
4. Informal protest voting or not voting.
5. Social network peer to peer interaction.
In Australia, the New South Wales state has a political party known as the Nationals or NSW Nationals. The leader of the party is Andrew Stoner. Not only does the leader of the party have a twitter but the party itself has one as well. The party's twitter is NSWNationals. On twitter the party leader and the party as a whole can reach out to its members and potential members to keep them updated on events and political matters.
The party is not only reaching its general audience of members but the Nationals party created a twitter account specifically for its young members. NSWyoungnats. Social media engages people to participate in politics.
As their is a decline in people going out and physically joining political parties and attending political rallies, the social media have increased membership thru Internet. The old or traditional forms of political participation are dwindling.
There is a trend leading towards the personalization of electoral systems. This trend is being complemented by the spread of social media.
With old media such as TV broadcasting and print news , politicians couldn't directly get in contact with potential voters. Social media such as Facebook and twitter allows politicians to directly get in touch with voters and potential voters. Social media allows for Interactivity which creates strong ties between a candidate and its followers.
The Australian government is having success in engaging citizens online thru social media
Notes:
Macnamara, Jim. Beattie, Jenni. Sakinofsky, Phyllis "E-lectoral Engagement-maintaining and enhancing democratic participation through social media". University of Technology Sydney, 2012
Another pitfall might be legitimate people.The internet affords anonymity that it is not afforded in the same manner in the world outside the internet. Additionally, the internet allows an easier ability to lie or not be completely honest. However, some might say anonymity fosters an environment of more honesty due to discretion. I think the internet may pose more problems than the Australian Commission has acknowledged. on the other hand, if they have addressed some of these issues then it may be helpful to include their solutions and how other countries can model their behavior.
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