The influence of social media and internet fads on political campaigns has become incredibly concerning. As politicians and campaign leaders focus more on algorithms, trendy audios and clickbait, they support a pandemic of misinformation and naivety. Despite its convenience and instantaneous ability to mobilize users toward advocacy and political participation, the use of social media in politics shifts its overall focus from diplomacy to performance, a change that negatively impacts our nation overall.
In 2024, performative activism is still trending on social media
Over the last 20 years, social media has become a powerful force in our world. According to an analysis of survey data by Kepios, as of 2024, about 62.3% of the world uses some form of social media, amounting to 4.95 billion people. Because of its accessibility and wide reach, social media has become a method of dispensing information about a variety of topics, including the paramount social and political issues of our world. In some ways, this can do a lot of good, largely in how it can inspire previously uninformed people to learn more about various causes. However, there are many pitfalls.
Social media promotes isolation for frequent users
Unhealthy drinking habits are too normalized on college campuses
BY NINA LARBI ’22
Being new to college, I still find it jarring when I go on social media and see people I have known since we were seven years old posting pictures of themselves completely plastered in their white-brick dorm rooms, complete with cheap IPA. Maybe it is because I was part of the overachiever clique in high school, so the most risky thing that any of us did was watch an R-rated movie when we were 15, but it’s just plain weird to see your old friends become social alcoholics, all documented by Instagram and Snapchat.