SOCIAL MEDIA AS A POWERFUL POLITICAL TOOL

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I find this topic to be an interesting one, not only because it talks about the media space and by extension, it's evolution but also cause it delves into the use of the media in present day and as regards issues that affect us.

These days, you get to find literally everything that you search for on social media. The online space can be likened to a safe space or an exhibition space where people share entertainment contents, sports news, fashion tips and inspirations, lifestyle content, food content, digital and all things tech content, religious contents, literary works, crafts, to mention but a few. Politics and political issues are not overlooked either.

I like to think of social media as a tool. A tool that people use not merely for leisure and entertainment purposes but one to create awareness and sensitization, to dish out knowledge, to pass on information, to seek support, and to showcase themselves. And even though there are still people who come on there to share fake news and perpetuate evil vices, in the last few years, we have witnessed how much of a powerful tool the media space is.

These days, politicians and people who have aspirations in politics leverage on the platform to create awareness about themselves and to seek support. Because fewer and fewer people watch the news on TV or listen to the radio but rather stay online, it is much easier to get people's attention. And also, because of the diverse group of people on the media who hold different views and likening to political aspirants, it's easier to read from their point of view and to amass enough knowledge on candidates and parties, enough to learn and make informed choices as a people.

I feel like social media has made it more convenient for people(young people, to be precise) to take an interest in what goes on in the political sphere and to be involved while at it. Take the recent issues in the Senate House as an example. Years back, the populace may never have heard of it. Maybe they will, but that would be just the contorted and edited version from the local news station. And even if they did hear of it, they would be unable to fully be involved by sharing their views and pulling their weights behind who they believe is right.

The media space is a blessing to the populace because it lets us express our views, interact with people of like minds, and make choices we would be proud of. It does us very well that voters have more access to political aspirants via the media. While these politicians share their manifestos, create awareness and form a level of relationship with their intending, the voters get to access them, their track records, make a choice based on their findings and vote just who they believe is the best candidate for the job.

I hope that this was interesting to read. Thanks for coming around.