It seems obvious now that social media would play an influential role in politics but before the 2008 election cycle that was not the case. President Barack Obama has recently reflected on the role of social media and how it has reshaped the American political landscape.
Around the time of his first term, Facebook was gaining prominence and in 2008 became the most-visited social media site (surpassing MySpace). It was the first election where a substantial number of Facebook groups were formed on behalf of political candidates. Obama’s staff understood the new medium and used it to mobilize voters and likely win the election.
But Obama notes the downside of the platform as well. The breakdown caused by not having a trusted, universal source like Walter Cronkite, the Washington Post or New York Times as “gatekeepers” of the news allowed separate media worlds to evolve online. Now, people can inhabit their own reality where social media can disseminate falsehoods and allow issues to fester and dominate the airwaves, even if the messages it carries are skewed. He believes these “separate realities” have contributed in large measure to the partisan divide and the divisiveness in America.
Obama also reflected that politics has devolved to demonization – distinguished from having different views. Now, it’s not just that people have different values or approaches, rather they must demonize the “other”, fueled by a steady diet of “news” that only confirms their beliefs and tears down those who do not share them. It makes compromise politically untenable and gives rise to the violence, vitriol, and vengeance that permeate our culture today.
Until I heard his interview with Oprah and read his book, I had not made the connection in the timing. Think about what role you allow social media to play in your life and your organization today. I am unsure as to the steps to counteract its polarization and influence, but an acknowledgment of the problem is the first step toward solving it.
Conversations with Oprah and Barack Obama, Apple TV+
A Promised Land by Barack Obama,