The first ballot I ever cast was for Jimmy Carter in 1976.onlineI was a sophomore forestry major, a hippy who flew hang gliders, rode motorcycles, and hung out with other hippies.onlineI grew disillusioned during the Iran hostage crisis, but I was afraid of Reagan because the news media told me he would likely start WWIII.onlineSurprisingly, things seemed to be going pretty well despite the doomsayers in the Democrat Media Industrial Complex (DMIC) telling me that he was non compos mentis.onlineThe Berlin Wall coming down and the collapse of the old Soviet Union were pretty big clues, as was our economic recovery.
I was aware of the disconnect, but it wasn’t until I read an article by Cal Thomas that everything clicked into place.onlineI remember thinking, “Finally!onlineSomebody’s making sense!”onlineAs time went on, I stumbled across other conservative authors, and when I heard about Rush Limbaugh, the die was cast, and there was no going back.
The early days of the internet saw the debut of online message boards, and as I participated on those, I also began to access a wider range of online informational sources while curtailing my consumption of television news.onlineThe message boards gave way to MySpace and Facebook, which were soon joined by Twitter and Reddit and all the rest.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, politicians were also making themselves heard on these newfangled social media platforms.onlineInstead of relying on the DMIC to get their views out to the public, they bypassed it and spoke to us directly.onlineTheir campaigns became more personalized, and they engaged with us at the grassroots level.
It soon became apparent that, shockingly, they weren’t all telling the truth!onlineIn years past, it took a while for lies to be uncovered, and they may have been revealed to the public, or not.onlineWith the advent of social media, it started to happen almost instantaneously.onlineWe discovered that the media fact-checkers themselves were frequently the source of mis- and disinformation, not to mention the censorship of views that countered their narrative.
Political activists such as #MeToo and BLM took to social media to mobilize their members and organize protests, voter drives, and fundraisers.onlineTheir online presence usually revealed just who they really were and what they stood for.onlineWe learned that social media could break someone just as quickly as it brought him to fame.
For example, an interview with Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors quickly went viral when she bragged about being a trained Marxist.onlineA video of her wearing a feathered costume and dancing in what appears to be an arcane ceremony did her no favors, either.onlineA quick search on what she was dancing to produced this: “Iyami ... is the Great Feminine Power within the cult of Orisha and Ifá.onlineThis deity is associated with witchcraft and both female and male witches.”online“Iyami Osoromaniga are the Great Mothers witches whose power is infinite and therefore useful for any purpose.”onlineWhat may have put the final nail in her celebrity coffin was another interview in which she defended her purchase of large mansions by saying she needed to care for her family.onlineDon’t we all?
Social media groups such as those on Facebook soon formed and were based on users’ existing beliefs.onlineAlgorithms on social media deliver content that aligns with viewers’ beliefs, with the result that these groups became echo chambers, where different viewpoints may rarely be encountered.onlineAs individuals become less exposed to diverse perspectives, environments can be fostered where extreme views are amplified.onlineOf course, this process had already been occurring in the DMIC for decades.onlineTrying to find conservative viewpoints on television news prior to the mid-1990s was a fruitless endeavor.onlineEven today, we have very few television outlets, including Fox, such as it is; NewsMax; and One America News.
Social media enable us to share content with a few clicks of the mouse.onlineSadly, mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news are often spread along with legitimate information, and these will influence public opinions and even electoral outcomes.onlineHoaxes such as the Russian Collusion scam, the Hunter Biden laptop story, and the COVID debacle are all examples, and it seems as if we’re treated to a new deception from the DMIC every day.onlineDan Bongino touts his “Bongino Rule,” which suggests waiting for 24–72 hours before responding to major stories as so many turn out to be spurious.
The DMIC has repeatedly disgraced itself by spreading egregious lies and eroding public trust.online60 Minutes was recently exposed as having manipulated its interview of Kamala Harris.onlineOn the other hand, the new W.H. press secretary is doing yeoman’s work in countering DMIC misinformation.onlineElon Musk’s recent purchase of Twitter/X has enabled that particular platform to turn a corner and facilitate a more open exchange of ideas.
Social media have been instrumental in increasing voter engagement, especially among young voters.onlineThey distribute information regarding voter registration drives, polling locations, voting procedures, and even reminders to vote.onlineBarron Trump encouraged his father to utilize social media and podcasts to reach a younger audience, and it likely played a role in his electoral victory.
Politicians are increasingly using social media to offer transparency, showing their positions on issues.onlineThey also hold them accountable as their posts are scrutinized, fact-checked, and criticized.
In conclusion, social media have democratized access to political discourse.onlineIt has increased voter engagement and political activism.onlineIt has also contributed to polarization and the spread of mis- and disinformation and is creating new challenges in managing public perception and discourse.onlineThese impacts are complex and can both empower and complicate our politics.
What is undeniable is that the amount of information we have access to and the rate at which this information is updated continues to increase.onlineAs voters, we have a duty to form and inform our personal knowledge base as well as our individual consciences.onlineThis requires the judicious use of information sources from a wide variety of providers.
It’s becoming easier, as well as more important, by the day to separate fact from fiction.onlineThere’s no longer any excuse not to do so.
Image via PickPik.