US 2020 Election: The Salience of Social Media

It's impossible for any social media user in the US to ignore the upcoming election. From push notifications about mail-in ballots, political ads before YouTube videos, informational links below Instagram posts and TikToks, and tweets by the president flagged for disinformation, the average user can’t scroll for very long on any app without being inundated with a barrage of resources.

 

The intention is to inform the American public and aid in the democratic process, but does it actually, work? For so many, scrolling through social media is a part of daily life, but does that factor alone give apps like Twitter and Instagram any authority on dispersing such important information to millions of people?

 

In a post on Twitter’s blog, company officials said, “Twitter plays a critical role around the globe by empowering democratic conversation, driving civic participation, facilitating meaningful political debate, and enabling people to hold those in power accountable. But we know that this cannot be achieved unless the integrity of this critical dialogue on Twitter is protected from attempts — both foreign and domestic — to undermine it.” 

 

 

No one knows the full extent to which social media companies were successful in their attempts at civic engagement just yet, but according to HuffPost, “3 million Americans have registered to vote via social media ahead of this year’s presidential election” in late September. 

 

Additionally, “A spokesperson told HuffPost that nine out of 10 American users of the site say they’re already registered to vote.” 

 

  Many are frustrated by ceaseless reminders to register, vote, and be weary of misinformation:    

                       

       

 

A vast majority of Millennials and Gen z get their news from social media, mainly from journalists and news outlets on the apps. Following the 2016 election cycle debacle with widespread misinformation and Russian interference on Facebook, social media apps have responded this year with their own Election Day strategies. Users saw the first wave of these strategies implemented on National Voter Registration Day, September 22, and the general user reception of these features hasn’t been necessarily warm.

 

Some users find the features to be futile, skirting a larger national issue in voter suppression and accessibility:

 

                                    

 

The integration of social media and politics has increased greatly since Trump was elected, and many found his tweets to be a source of embarrassment for the country. Similarly, the nature of the content on sites like Twitter and Instagram potentially de-legitimizes any efforts to for the apps’ campaigns to be taken seriously. 

 

 

The juxtaposition of celebrity posts, memes, and influencers being side by side with serious political information is unsettling for many. While some find these features to be an opportunity for satire, others consider them to be majorly offensive, and even a violation of the right to free speech.

 

Other than push notifications and informative links, Twitter has implemented the following: Candidates cannot claim they’ve won the election until it is officially declared, candidates cannot tweet or retweet anything that encourages interference with the election (BBC.com).

 

These features appear to be an attempt to remedy the mistakes made in the 2016 election, but despite their intention, they’ve quickly become a cause for contention among many conservatives who believe them to be a form of censorship.

 

Twitter’s attempt to stop the spread of 'fake news' during election season has collided with President Trump’s campaign on multiple occasions, deleting his tweets on the grounds of misinformation.

 

 

At a hearing on the Section 230 issue last Wednesday with the CEO's of Twitter, Google, and Facebook, Republican Senator Cory Gardner spoke out against the features implemented by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

 

Gardner accused Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey of, “politically motivated content moderation.” He continued that lawmakers, “have to be very careful and not rush to legislate in ways that stifle speech.”

 

According to the New York Times, Democrats wanted to know about the tech chief executives’ efforts to curb the spread of disinformation and extremism. “I want to know first why this hearing comes six days before Election Day,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar, former Democratic presidential candidate, insinuating that the hearing was held by Republicans to benefit President Trump.

 

Jack Dorsey was continuously interrupted but held that, “We realize we need to earn trust more.”

 

Democrat and senior Senator of Hawaii Brian Schatz responded to the attacks on Dorsey, "This is bullying and it is for electoral purposes," he continued, "Do not let the United States Senate bully you into carrying water for those who want to spread misinformation." (CNN)

 

Social media has yet to figure out its role in presidential elections, and as discourse on privately-owned social media apps becomes more integral to politics and the US elections, and with an administration that used Twitter like never before, it’s inevitable that new features will continue to be added and contested by users and public officials alike. Their true impact likely won’t be realized until the election is long over with.

 

Adrienne Lucas

Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.