Through the years, means of communication have evolved. The way people communicate with each other today is entirely different from the prehistoric era. Earlier people used leaves and cloth to draw symbols on until the emergence of alphabets, signs and symbols, letters, and telephone. Today, the Internet era has paved the way to innumerable means of communication. With the emergence of social media, people now can connect to others all around the globe much faster than before. Due to its usefulness, it has found a profound role in political campaigns.
Social media enables political parties to provide their message directly to a large number of voters. Content is tailored to the audience. Unlike traditional media, there are no charges paid for air time. With the use of strategic paid promotions, social media proves to be the most cost-effective medium to reach the masses. As a result, the entry of new players into the political scenario is also facilitated who previously could afford traditional media to propagate. It is also a source of news and debates for people on the move. A 2016 Pew Research study found that 62% of adults in the United States of America got news on social media. It also helps citizens voice their opinions about political issues in their countries. Josue David Cisneros, assistant professor of communication studies at Northeastern University states that social media can virally organise mass amounts of people, such that it’s made it so much faster to mobilise people. This is greatly beneficial during political campaigns.
Despite the benefit, there are large sections of the population who still prefer traditional media over social media. On the other hand, social media has also become a medium for the propagation of hate, fake news and disruptive ideologies. Moreover, the breach of privacy and hacked accounts of popular personalities are pretty common and could prove to be dangerous in the future. To curb these issues, Social media companies must become stricter regarding their regulations and terms of use with stricter punishments like permanent bans for perpetrators.
Harman Singh