Matt Salazar Prac. 2- Social Medias influence on Politics and Government

Questions:

1. In what ways do you think that social media has influence today’s politics? Do you think that people are willing to believe something on social media rather than the news?

1. Do you think that social media plays a role on how politicians govern?

1. Looking back on the last two decades people have used social media as a way to spread whatever they try to inform their viewers. What are some pros and cons that people would do when spreading information on social media?

1. Do you think that there should be regulations on what people can say on social media?

1. In your opinion what would you do if you were in a position of power, would you let people say whatever they want or regulate people say?

Person A Responses:

1. Social media has grown in popularity over the years and is easily accessible to everyone.There’s a sense of belonging using a social platform and it’s not a huge task finding people who are like-minded. Thoughts, opinions, media coverage, and the news are shared with ease by one click of a button. Fact checking the news that are read on social media are believed to be fact because politics, opinions, and biases play a role in what consumers believe. The political divide that we are witnessing today has an effect on the credibility of the news reports that are displayed to us.
2. Social media can play a role in how politicians govern negatively or positively. Almost everyone is on a social platform where they are able to voice their opinions and this can sway how a politician decides how they want to alter a law.
3. Social media is kind of like a game of telephone; information is spread by word of mouth. A pro to getting information out on a social platform is that it can be done literally in seconds and can be shared even faster. A downside to social media is that when you read a piece of information that correlates with your bias is that people are more quick to share than fact check that information they’re reading.
4. Speech restriction is an infringement on our First Amendment Rights, however, it is important to take an account how free speech can become lateral violence and can do harm to a community. It’s important that social media platforms have regulations and Terms and Conditions that are carefully looked at when serious reports on harmful speech is committed.
5. Free speech is a human right, but that does not take away from the consequences that an occur while exercising those rights. If I were in a position power, I would regulate harmful commentary because if you’re not going to say anything nice, don’t say it all.

Person B

1. I think that social media has influenced todays politics in both good and bad ways. Good in a way that the message or news one is trying to spread will gain attention quicker through social media. Bad in a way where not everything one spreads is true. Not everyone does their research thoroughly and ends up spreading the wrong information. Todays generation is more willing to believe what social media has to say because all different platforms have such creative ways to spread the word. I guess why read a news article when you can watch a tiktok or hear about it on the radio?
2. I do think that social media plays a role on how politicians govern. They are able to read on social media what people want and use that to their advantage as they bend the truth on what their plans really are for their jurisdiction. 
3. Some pros people would do on social media is campaign and get the word out on who they are and what they believe in. They are able to show visual examples of what they are planning to due and fight for. The cons come down to tearing one another apart. “Don’t vote for them because they have a history of doing this.” “Are you sure you wanna vote for someone who hates the community because they have done this?” Then with that, others retaliate and dig up more dirt for the public. It becomes a competition to take each other down and less of telling voters on what they will gain once said person is elected. 
4. I absolutely think that there should be regulations on what people say on social media. If we keep up with how it is now, we’ll lose touch in our humanity and become control freaks. 
5. If I were a person of power I’d prefer if we had regulations on what to say. However, I would also not want to take away everyone’s First Amendment rights. I assume things would get messy as one person would bring that up and a whole argument would start on it. Thinking about it now I say let people talk, but focus on something more important. 

Person C

1. I think that it influences todays politics quite a bit, especially with misinformation because you are able to put a lot of your opinion or opinionated based views online. The way social media markets its very close to you, your friends, your followers, you’re going to get some of your feed from your followers and friends. I think that they’re going to be feeding social media of what you to see, almost like feeding your bias. Instagram and Facebook same with Twitter I see a lot of that on there.
2. I would say no, having a good social media platform as a politician especially in this day and age, but I would say no to that I don’t think so.
3. I would say the pros for spreading it would be probably first hand accounts. Everyone has a phone in this day and age so you see a lot of Instagram accounts coming out of soldiers in the Ukraine-Russian War, so I think that is a pretty good outlet because it show’s you “What are these soldiers doing there?” The cons would definitely be the Alt-Right, both sides with crazy, crazy people that want to see the world burn.
4. No, I don’t think so even though that seems a little off of what my previous answers were. I think that the platform should be participating free speech and everyone should have the right to their opinion either said or viewpoints out there.
5. That is one of the issues of free speech is having either hurtful speech or having hate speech and I would say I would definitely let people have a voice, I’m definitely for free speech and voicing our opinions, but there’s a point where it becomes that you’re throwing threats at people and you’re speaking with you’re emotions instead of based facts. There would be regulations on hate speech for sure.

Overall analysis of interviewing three people is that all three are for the freedom of speech and being able to voice your opinions on social media. Although, Person A and B seem to have similar responses to the questions, but Person C has different responses. Question Four is where Person C disagrees with the answers that A and B gave with both voicing an agreement of certain regulations, but Person C does support that any speech that would harm or be considered hate speech should have regulations. I believe that both Person A and B have more a liberal based responses of the influence that social media has on our politics and the way government works. On question 2 regarding if politicians are influenced by social media, both parties agreed that social media can take a hold on what how a politician can govern. While Person C disagrees, but although Person C may disagree on social media influence of governance C brinks the point it can be used in a good way.

I very much enjoyed this assignment because it gave us an opportunity to ask the big questions about our political beliefs and going deeper into the mindset of what many people think about the influence that social media has on politics. I hope we get the chance to do another assignment like this in the upcoming future.