Social media according to the Wikipedia, "are interactive Computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities which include but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram, which are web internet based applications."
The use of social media in today's politics which includes Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has immensely aggrandized the way campaigns are run and how Citizens/Constituents interact with their elected officials.
In Delta State, the prevalence of social media in politics has made elected officials and candidates for public offices more accountable and accessible to voters.
The social media has been adjudged the best platform to publish and broadcast contents to millions of people almost instantly. It allows political parties and campaign organizations to carefully manage the image of their Candidates through one on one engagement with the Citizens on various social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram, who in turn constitute large number of the voters.
Analytically, people began to use the social media to discuss and share political information such as government functions and campaign activities few years before the 2015 general elections that was keenly contested by Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Surprisingly, the social media has since then become the most viable information sharing platform that provides millions of people with easy access to the happenings, particularly in Delta State and generally, in Nigerian politics.
Political, religious, traditional and opinion leaders, are all users of one form of social media or the other in Delta State, this enable the voters and followers to have direct access to information emanating from a particular arm or level of government and/or leader, with opportunities to make demands from the government and point out defective areas with prompt feedback as a norm.
Interestingly, the social media has helped to promote youth involvement in Delta State politics, as it provides opportunity for political leaders to hearken to the voice and opinion of young people through publications made on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter either to support, promote or criticize a particular government, idea or interest.
The political inclination of the social media and it sensitivity, has led to the appointment of enterprising youths as social media handlers for high profile men, astute Politicians and members of the Elites, while the Delta State government has also appointed and assigned portfolios to hundreds of youth who gained prominence through the social media.
Going further, the social media has made remarkable impact in bringing opposition politics to limelight in Delta State through well broadcasted information and activities about opposition political parties such as the All Progressive Congress (APC), on various social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. The events/activities of opposition political parties like campaigns, critics, ideas and petitions that are vigorously broadcasted on the social media over time, has solidified the viability of opposition politics in Delta State, thereby consolidating on democracy.
From 2015 to 2019, the APC in Delta State has become so popular through effective use of the social media by her media handlers, thereby giving the ruling party (PDP) in the State a worthy run.
However, as beneficial as the social media has become to politics, it is imperative to examine it shortcomings. The antics and motives of social media users especially Politicians, to bring down perceived political opponents has greatly affected the genuineness of information shared in the cyber space. The social media has made it easy for Politicians to sponsor and spread propaganda, hate speeches and blackmails against their opponents. Gullible Citizens have been lured into believing unverified information and circulating same, thereby promoting tribal bigotry, religious intolerance and disunity in Delta State.
In a nutshell, the social media crucial role in today's politics in Delta State cannot be overemphasize, it is pertinent to note that as politicians exploit the evergreen opportunities provided by the use of the social media for easy communication, they should focus more on how to use it to grow our democracy by strictly adhering the laws of the land which forbids anyone from dehumanization.
0 Comments