Social media plays a big role in the younger generations lives, and with the elections approaching and running towards us with torches, we must decide which candidate we’d rather friend (or follow?). Although neither presidential candidate is anyone’s first choice, we’ll just have to deal with it and swipe right for one.
With all of the social media surrounding us (mostly the younger generation), it’s hard not to be involved with current events, especially the presidential election. There are hundreds of memes created a day with the purpose of insulting either Clinton or Trump. One meme in particular focuses on Trumps scrunched up face and writes, “That face you make when you’re a bully and just got beat up by a girl.” Another popular meme is a picture of Bill Clinton’s smug face with the caption, “I always choose someone other than my wife…shouldn’t you?” Memes like these mock the candidates and galvanize younger voters. Our generation revolves around anything that is posted and it’s meant to lure us into all of it.
John Jay student Gabriela Montilla says that, “Social media memes and false claims about each candidate is making it seem as if my generation isn’t taking the elections seriously enough, even though it’s going to affect us more than anyone in the long run.”
Our generation is all tied up in what is being posted on Facebook, or tweeted on Twitter, but we aren’t acknowledging that most of it may not even be true. The “trends” or popular posts may not even be based on full facts.
Nineteen-year-old Kevin Ramphaul believes that our generation isn’t reading deeper into anything that we see, read, or hear. He comments, “Social media is based on more of what we hear loudly rather than what we hear by detail. It only shows the facts that are more notorious.”
Politics have caught the attention of this generation solely through social media–more so than any other presidential election. “I think that any politician can turn the tide in their favor by using social media,” said freshman Ignacio Felipe, “especially by targeting Millennials.”
Trump, in particular, is targeting the younger generation even more than Hillary is. His tweets and Facebook statuses are brief, powerful and, most of the time, amusing. By doing so, Trump is inevitably attracting potential voters, especially the youth. In addition, Trump went so far as to create a Snapchat filter that reached every Snapchat user in the United States. The filter was put up on the day of the first presidential debate. It read “DEBATE DAY – Donald J. Trump VS. Crooked Hillary” in an attempt to persuade young voters.
John Jay student Franklin Medina agrees with Trump’s use of social media. “Everyone is starting to take Trump seriously because of social media,” he said, “he’s the Drake of politics lately–everyone loves him.”
Social media is throwing us in for a loop of uncertainty.
