Donald Trump: the spawn of social media
Imagine. It’s 2018 and social media doesn’t exist. If you were to compile a list of things that would be different, it would probably be longer than the proposed USA-Mexico ‘wall’. On the top of that list I can safely assume two things: first, the Kardashians would be nobodies, and second, Donald Trump would not be president.
The social media usage of the current President of The United States can be likened to that of the Kardashians. They have both utilized various platforms to successfully create unsurmountable followings of devoted fans, followers, supporters — and haters. They use social media systematically to effectively develop their brands, image, and careers. Both parties are undoubtedly successful business people and most definitely would not be where they are today without social media. The real difference is, the Kardashians are pop culture influencers, selling SkinnyTea, lipgloss, and the American Dream to teenagers, while Donald Trump is the President of the United States selling right wing political ideology and government secrets to the whole world.
Social media has given a voice to those who wouldn’t otherwise have one, and has made the voice of those who do, much, much louder. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have enabled people to speak their minds freely and openly to large audiences. The power of social media lies in the hands of its users, and in turn, has allowed for people to challenge commonly held beliefs instilled by the media, propose their own ideas and solutions, oh and also, make blatantly racist and sexualized comments with no repercussion, among other things.
According to Baynes (2018), “Donald Trump has defended his use of Twitter and admitted he believes he would not have won the presidency without it.” However, that is not to say he won because of it. Trump delivered a message and it was heard; social media enabled him to spread his political ideologies (and various perversions) and reach people with similar beliefs. His use of social media perpetuated his ideas into the dominant ideology of current American politics, which regardless of the circumstances, is pretty impressive. His techniques, such as speaking in ‘plain language’ and oversharing, are proven and effective ways to captivate an audience online, as shared by many famously infamous social media influences, like the Kardashians, as well as other politicians, like Norm Kelly (aka 6 Dad).
Though, I do credit his ability to harness such a following on social media to his baffling behaviour and deliberate combativeness online, following someone on Twitter does not equal a vote (…yet). I mean, as the slaves to entertainment and drama that we as humans are, why wouldn’t you follow him?
In the case of social media, the medium is not the message. Whether it’s a Tweet, a YouTube video, or an Instagram post, your followers will get a notification, and your message will be heard. The medium, however, has enabled the message, and put it on blast for the whole world to hear. Nevertheless, everybody has a voice in the era of social media; demagogues like Trump, reconcilers like Opera, influencers like Kim K, and even myself.
References
Baynes, C. (2018). Trump says he would not be President without Twitter. The Independent. Retrieved 31 January 2018, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-tweets-twitter-social-media-facebook-instagram-fox-business-network-would-not-be-a8013491.html
Elite Daily. (2017). That time he couldn’t help but be petty while wishing everyone a happy New Year. Retrieved from https://www.elitedaily.com/news/politics/71-donald-trumps-ridiculous-tweets-honor-71st-birthday/1992270
