We’re half-way through October and Election Day will be here sooner than many of us may think. As a nineteen year-old American citizen, this is officially the first election in which I will have the ability to essentially choose a leader for the country I reside in. Recently, it seems to me like the presidential candidates have been treating the election like a popularity contest — however, it is so much more than that. Thanks to the implementation of the three branches of the U.S. government intended to uphold a system of checks and balances, the president is not all-powerful, and they don’t just get to do whatever they want whenever they want. But even though the president does not have total control over every decision regarding the United States, the decisions they do make can heavily affect a great number of people who call this country their home. As a Caucasian teenager in a middle-class family living in the suburbs, I am privileged in the way that regardless of who wins this year’s election, my own personal life will not change that much. This is not the case for many people. The president and their accompanying party will dictate whether or not some people have access to health care. It will affect access to education, how much money people pay for taxes, and even whether or not some people have access to basic human rights.
It is ridiculous that people actually debate over whether or not certain groups of people deserve rights, but this disappointing fact, my friends, is for another discussion. My point here is that voting is a really big responsibility. When I was younger I just viewed voting as something Americans did to preserve democracy, to make people feel like they had a say in how they lived their lives. I now understand that voting is truly a public responsibility. When I mark a presidential candidate on that ballot, it is a decision that will directly impact millions of other people across the United States.
As a member of Gen Z, many adults may claim that I’m “always on that damn phone”. Unfortunately, I would only perpetuate this stereotype because they would be correct. Even without a global pandemic, I spend many hours on my phone. In fact, my screen time daily average at this very moment is 4 hours and 30 minutes a day. What exactly does this have to do with the impending election though? Social media platforms occupy most of my screen time, and many of the accounts and people I follow on applications such as TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have used the topic of the election in their content for months now. Whether it be TikToks encouraging people to vote, Tweets regarding the president’s latest statements, or Instagram posts with information on how to register to vote, I am constantly exposed to opinions and facts regarding the presidential election of 2020.
One TikTok in particular stands out to me (click the following link to watch it):
TW: Strong language, mentions of rape
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJajKp8a/
The individual who uploaded this TikTok clearly is very passionate about the election. They advocate in favor of voting for Joe Biden, this year’s democratic presidential candidate, and they do so in a very intense manner. Some people may be wondering if this stranger’s rant on a social media app really holds any true influence over the election, however I think that one million plus likes can’t really be classified as insignificant. Social media is without a doubt influencing the 2020 election. The U.S. Department of State published a script of Professor Patrick J. Egan’s speech about the role of social media in the presidential election in February of 2020. In his speech, Egan claims that “social media is amplifying America’s already polarized news bubbles.” This makes a whole lot of sense, since social media algorithms are implemented to show the user things that they would “want” to see. For example, I myself have more liberal views that currently align more with the Democratic political party. The people I follow on social media platforms, specifically TikTok, tend to be liberal. Therefore, the videos I often see on my “For You Page” consist of people promoting social change and encouraging everyone to vote for Joe Biden. I can imagine that similarly, those who support more conservative policies on TikTok are only seeing videos of folks encouraging others to vote for Donald Trump. While it is nice to see things that confirm and strengthen our pre-existing beliefs, it can also be important to see the opinions of those we disagree with. Healthy arguments and debate can lead to education and compassion that help develop a solution where everyone can meet somewhere in the middle. Yet we see that social media is almost erasing this opportunity to explore other’s opposing views.
So, what exactly am I to do about all of this? How will I use my power as a voter in the 2020 presidential election to spark the change I would like to see in this country? Well, if I’m being totally honest, I don’t necessarily love either candidate. In fact, I sort of dislike both of them. I just happen to dislike one of them far more than I dislike the other. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I should be doing more research on the policies that each candidate wants to promote and instill if or when elected. I should have watched the presidential debate, and I should probably watch the news a little more often. As much as I can recognize that social media is influencing me, I also continue to use social media as my primary news source. I am registered to vote, but I have not actually voted yet since I plan to vote on election day in person. While I like and retweet or repost content that encourages everyone who is able to vote to do so, I myself have not made posts encouraging others to vote. I suppose I just figured that since I was seeing constant reminders all across my social media platforms to register to vote and vote in the election, I had assumed everyone else was seeing these messages too. Next election, I should probably try a little harder to use my own small platform as well. I am anxious to witness the results of this year’s election, and I can only hope that my vote will play a small part in changing this country for the better.
If you are someone who has the ability to vote, please, do so. Speak out for those who don’t have a voice. Best of luck to all of us on this upcoming election day.
Link to Patrick J. Egan’s Speech:
https://www.state.gov/elections-101-the-role-of-social-media-in-us-elections