AS WE WITNESS a dystopian world unfold under President Donald J Trump, the disruption that social media is causing to politics has come under some scrutiny. Trump’s rise to prominence is being touted by many as being, at least in part, a symptom of fake news in a “post fact” world, and social media is in the eye of the storm.
Barack Obama cautioned that such “active misinformation” may threaten democracy itself causing Mark Zuckerberg to bow to the pressure, with Facebook since outlining approaches to tackle the problem. In the aftermath of Trump’s election, then editor of Politico Magazine, Susan Glasser said that social media sites should:
“rightfully be doing a lot of soul-searching about their role as the most efficient distribution network for conspiracy theories, hatred, and outright falsehoods ever invented.”
But it hardly influenced the outcome, did it? That’s one for the political scientists to answer. Either way, when the South Korean Government appoints an official whose sole job is to monitor Trump’s tweets, it becomes obvious that his use of social media is transforming politics as we know it. History is being rewritten.
Where did it all go wrong?
Just two years ago, social media was being championed for the role it played in the marriage equality referendum in Ireland, mobilising supporters in ways not seen before, moving from clictivism to concrete results and helping to start a national conversation.
Social media allowed us to tell people “I’m voting yes, here’s why”. Videos of us ringing our grannies made us cry. Memes of well-known faces filled our feeds. 350,000 of us put the Yes Equality 2015 Twibbon on our profile pictures. Crowdfunding efforts driven by social media raised a whopping €158,560.
In the week leading up to May 22nd, #MarRef was used 467,323 times from 384,002 users, generating an estimated 1 billion global impressions. And loved ones returning #HomeToVote captured the hearts of the nation, with more than 72,000 tweets shared on voting day alone.
Us versus them
Despite the divisive nature of the referendum, and the “us versus them” debates which played out on traditional media, the strong leadership of the Yes campaign and its use of social media created an open and respectful space.
This ultimately became a campaign that people wanted to be a part of, and they could do so through social media. The positive tone and approach reflected the sentiment of Irish society and the values of fairness and decency instilled in its people.
Perhaps this is where the distinction can be drawn with how the US presidential campaign played out. While it might not have been the cause of Trump’s electoral eminence, social media afforded exposure to the conditions that made it possible and provided the platforms that fuelled the fire.
Trump’s election is similar to the marriage equality campaign
Being the master communicator that he is and by pledging to “Make America Great Again”, Trump and his team capitalised on the growing anti-immigrant, nationalist sentiment that has been brewing globally.
“Fake news” spread like wildfire because supporters who bought into his ideology and rhetoric did not concern themselves with its legitimacy, if it served to reinforce their views, that was enough for them.
Trump’s election is similar in ways to the marriage equality campaign in that social media was a vehicle for collective action, but the values and conditions that drove them is where the two are oceans apart.
The lesson here is that social media is just a tool. The tools that illustrated the joy and goodwill during the marriage equality referendum are the same tools which helped misinformation to spread during the US Election. And now the 45th President of the United States is using those tools as his primary means of communication.
It falls to us how we use it
Whether it is being used towards achieving the greater good, or giving rise to President Trump, social media is here to stay. It falls to us as to how we use it. In this emerging volatile political landscape, strong leadership is required to uphold the values of a modern democracy. The same applies to social media.
Leadership is required to eliminate the threat posed by fake news. Leadership is required to challenge the underlying conditions that rise to the surface on Twitter, rather than placing the blame on the platforms themselves.
Social media is where Donald Trump puts out “information”. Social media is where we can challenge it.
Craig Dwyer is a fellow with the Social Change Initiative, conducting research on using social media as an effective tool in campaigning for social change. Craig was previously the Social Media Director for the Yes Equality campaign for civil marriage equality in Ireland.
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