Social Media: a case study for evaluating the rise of instigators and reconcilers
Fear and uncertainty can serve as catalysts for a number of dangerous things. Most notably, placing one’s trust in a self-proclaimed ‘saviour’. Unfortunately, I am no different than most. In times of need I am guilty of looking to the first thing that provides me with security and reassurance. I suppose the same is for those who have given rise to Trump. In a period of worrisome unemployment rates and rising fears regarding Democratic solutions primarily favouring the wealthy, many Americans perceived Trump as their liberator. The real question is how did we get to a point where a demagogue is responsible for running one of the world’s most influential countries. I’d argue that a keystone of Trump’s rise to power was his social media presence and follower interaction rate.
Fear and uncertainty can serve as catalysts for a number of dangerous things. Most notably, placing one’s trust in a self-proclaimed ‘saviour’. Unfortunately, I am no different than most. In times of need I am guilty of looking to the first thing that provides me with security and reassurance. I suppose the same is for those who have given rise to Trump. In a period of worrisome unemployment rates and rising fears regarding Democratic solutions primarily favouring the wealthy, many Americans perceived Trump as their liberator. The real question is how did we get to a point where a demagogue is responsible for running one of the world’s most influential countries. I’d argue that a keystone of Trump’s rise to power was his social media presence and follower interaction rate.
The notion of entrusting un-trustworthy people with power is exaggerated by social media. Social platforms are marked by the ability to share and repost in a matter of seconds. The wide accessibility of social media platforms has greatly bolstered the rate at which ideologies are spread. Even more worrisome is that the ease of use has resulted in minimal time devoted to a single post. Consequently, a 280 character tweet is taken at face value, and as such, lacks valuable context. Trump’s promises despite being far fetched, are regarded as fact, despite being merely emotion-based. The misconception lies in the notion that once something is made public on the Internet some aspect of it is true. Trump’s promises have included increased security, jobs, support for the LGBTQ community, and the wall (to be paid for by Mexico), all of which have been broken. Emphasizing emotion over fact was the basis of Trump’s campaign and continues to be prevalent in his rule. Hillary Clinton has previously corroborated this, noting in an MSNBC interview:
“That’s what a demagogue does: They say whatever they need to say to try to stir up the passions of people”.
Social media has created a virtual meeting place for people who share beliefs. It has done so through the presence of filter bubbles, wherein one is exclusively exposed to content that corroborates their preexisting beliefs. For some, isolated exposure to virtually identical value systems results in the belief that there cannot possible be varying points of view.
Ironically, both the platforms we use and much of Trump’s support group are reliant on the fact that humans are inherently social beings. It is a natural reaction to support ideologies that are being heavily backed as means of achieving inclusion.
Southern states in particular found it natural to believe Trump’s promises because 1.) they were in line with their existing motivations — populism and protectionism and 2.) their self-selected silos were presumably exclusively filled with pro-Trump content. According to The Need to Belong, a paper concerning the psychological nature behind belonging and group dynamics, “cues that connote possible harm, such as illness, danger, nightfall, and disaster, seem to increase the need to be with others” (Baumeister and Leary 499). Interestingly, Trump drew on nearly all of these cues. Utilizing Trump’s supporters as an example, he effectively pulled on the heartstrings of those affected by the lack of jobs and poor health/healthcare, and demonizing various races as a means of creating a ‘common enemy’ among the American population, painting himself as the only figure who could save the country from the influences of ‘the other’.
Ultimately, social media is a double edged sword wherein it has the potential to enable both demagogues and reconcilers. In a similar manner to the rise of power-hungry individuals, the fast paced nature of social media can quickly create hype for do-gooders. Influencers such as Oprah Winfrey effectively use their massive followings for positive change. The #TimesUp movement sent social media rampant with motivation to raise social consciousness regarding sexual harassment.
While the actions of individuals such as Oprah continue to open the flood gates to change, they are continually hindered by the force that gives rise to their movements — social media. The reality is that many leave their activist beliefs and behaviours on the computer screen. However, it must be noted that I am not failing to recognize the positive implications of these actors nor am I attempting to devalue their impact on society. I am simply attempting to bring attention to the reality that what the general public has termed Twitter activism, is just that, activism that remains in the confines of the social network. I have met an innumerable amount of people who demonstrate support for important movements, including BLM, #MeToo, and the general de-stigmatization of mental health problems, but the key issue is that many fail to translate this support into real-world actions. This is not meant to be taken as a sweeping generalization of our generation, but rather an attempt to encourage our philanthropy and activist selves to act beyond our computer screens.
The ultimate question for the future is how we as active social media users and content creators can transcend the actions and message of reconcilers, such as Winfrey, beyond our social networks into the realm of real-world actions and permanent change.
Sources
Baumeister, Roy F., and Mark R. Leary. “The Need To Belong: Desire For Interpersonal Attachments As A Fundamental Human Motivation..” Psychological Bulletin 117.3 (1995): 497–529. Web. 30 Jan. 2018.
Oprah Winfrey, 2018 Golden Globes. 2018. Web. 31 Jan. 2018. <http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a14776211/oprah-winfrey-2018-golden-globes-speech-transcript/>.
Wilson, Richard. “Demagogues In History: Why Trump Emphasizes Emotion Over Facts.” The Conversation. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 Jan. 2018.
