Digital media is so important in everyday life that it is often in your hands or your pocket. We don't often think about how social media and politics shape thinking and perception, but in the essay we understand that this is the case. Over the past decade, social media has become a very powerful tool in campaigns and government. With a change in how information is obtained, disinformation and distorted news is also gaining momentum. There is the power of many like-minded individuals who are able to band together and leverage their numbers against the influence of powerful lobbyists and other types of wealthy groups. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The role that digital and social media play in politics is greater than ever, especially now that we are approaching the 2020 election year. Having never voted in an election, I am interested in learning about the true effects of social media media on voter perception and politics in general. Having spent much of my life online, I am no stranger to news bias, targeting and perception shifts; when I begin researching my presidential candidate and vote or for the first time I am curious how the media will target me and try to influence my opinion. The work that politicians and their teams put into presenting to the media, from targeting the bad guys - mouthing off is fascinating. Kery Murakami's article titled "Political ads on smartphones target non-political events to speak directly to voters, one by one" focuses on how political candidates are able to focus on individuals through technology and present ads to them politicians. This is not surprising as the technology is at its most advanced, there is the ability to use global positioning or radio frequency to define a geographic area, then set triggers to send text and video ads and alerts to people nearby, this it is the most recent wave of both political and non-political advertising. Last year's presidential campaigns spent three to four times more on online advertising than previous presidential campaigns, and an even higher amount is expected in future elections. The importance of political play on digital and social media to the course of digital media and society is obvious. Our goal is to learn the effects that recent technological advances such as the Internet, Twitter, and online news have on the pulse of society. Politics has changed quite a bit in the last two decades, and the Internet has played an important role in this transformation. As advances in technology are made, the effects of these will play an increasingly larger role in society, so it is important that digital media courses continue to grow the curriculum to include them. The evolution of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, from platforms that facilitate networking among friends to powerful political tools has been a particularly momentous development. The political role of social media in American politics was established during the 2008 presidential election. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's social media strategy revolutionized the campaign by altering the structure of the political organization. The fact that 68% of American adults in 2018 got news from social media at least occasionally and that 20% often relied on social media for news speaks volumes about how much we rely on social mediaaverage. Few people were active on social media between 2005 and 2008. Even during the 2008 campaign, only 21 percent of the public was on social media. In 2009, however, the number of people online rose to 42 percent as social media gained traction in the political sphere in the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections. The percentage of social media users has stabilized at 70 percent since 2016 presidential election. To take a broader look at the influence of social media on politics today, we'll look at how social media truly influences politics and voters. With 24-hour access to news there is no more need to wait for the newspaper or television segment, online news is a 24/7 phenomenon where news, poll results and rumors can be shared instantly.TargetingIt's no secret that targeting is used in across the advertising industry to ensure ads and messages reach the right audiences. What may have been a secret is that politicians have access to this too; whether a candidate wants to address the concerns of women, college students, retirees, Latinos, or any other group of voters, they can now personalize their messages. Just as advertisers on Facebook are able to use analytics and targeted advertising, so can candidates and politicians. So if you notice that political messages seem to speak to you personally, it's no coincidence. Fake NewsPolitical campaigns, but particularly voters, are now influenced by every story, true or not, published on social media. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish real news from fake news online. Social media makes this distinction particularly confusing. The constant stream of memes, links and rumors about political leaders and candidates is a mix of truth, lies, satire and speculation. Bias Confirmation bias has power and is prevalent on social media. It occurs due to the direct influence of desire on beliefs, it clouds our vision towards ideas that do not fit our way of thinking. Once we form a point of view, we accept information that confirms that point of view while ignoring, or rejecting, information that casts doubt on it. Digital and social media have made it easy to stay in a distorted thought bubble, and this can affect your political position if you don't explore the outside of the bubble. InteractionOne of the positive effects social media has on politics is the opportunity for voters to more easily interact with candidates and elected officials. Traditionally, if you wanted to meet a politician or candidate, you had to attend a live event, but with modern technology, it is now possible to attend virtual events to interact with politicians and candidates. The Future of Politics There will definitely be many political changes that happen thanks to social media. Now there are proposals for Internet voting, which could lead to more people participating in elections. This could make social media even more influential, as people could literally vote within moments of reading the latest comments or links found on Facebook or Twitter. Other advances will also change politics. Social media polling techniques will become more common and hopefully more accurate. More political rallies and virtual town halls will be held. As social media becomes more and more popular, its impact on politics will only increase over time. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Credibility Evaluating a source whether it is political, medical or just general information is extremely important. As mentioned above, it's easy to get into a bubble of bias.