Thursday, October 18, 2012
Is Social Networking getting too political?
Most of had people tell us that at family gatherings and at parties you shouldn't bring up the topics politics or religion. It seems that the saying also applies to social networks or at least as far as politics are concerned. It has been a growing trend this Presidential election that expressing your political view on either Facebook or twitter can run the risk of losing friends and followers.Is social networking getting too political? Write a thoughtful response.
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32 comments:
I think discussing politics is extremely important. If you can't have a nice, non-hostile conversation with a family member, than whom can you talk to? Regarding social networking, voicing your opinion whether conservative or liberal should not be a bad thing. Actually, I think it is beneficial because it can turn into campaigning for a party. Discussing politics, to some, is annoying and may lead to some “unfollows” but is it really the end of the world? Social network wasn't designed for people to upload pictures of their food or make a status about how much homework one has. It was made to share ideas and connect with others and sharing political opinions is just that. Politics are a major part of our society and if more people want to get involved I think social networking is a great way to enable them to do so.
In this case, I would have to agree that social networking is getting too political. There is really no reason to stop being friends with someone or to stop following someone if they don't have the same political views as you. In my opinion, that's just immature. Even if it's just an acquaintence who you stop following, imagine in reality if you stopped being friends with someone you were once so close to just becuase of the political debate; it's immature. I don't think that it's completely necessary for people to post their political views to facebook or twitter because it's really nobody's business but that goes along with freedom of speech, they can do whatever they want. If anything, I think the tweets and status updates would start mini debates between friends but it shouldn't get so serious to the point where you lose friends because of an election that occurs every four years.
I believe that Social networking is getting way too political. Many times when there’s a certain event involving politics such as the presidential debate, Twitter and Facebook feeds become very heated over debates of who the better candidate is. Also it is very easy for false information to be accumulated and put out through these social networking sights. You also see many people arguing on who the better candidate is. It’s actually quite frustrating and aggravating to see online. Everyone has the right to their own opinion and can tweet and post status’s about whatever they want, but it seems as though people are posting false information that is sparking major confrontation throughout these social networking sights. Social networking is definitely getting way too political.
I believe that social networking is getting way too political. The night of the debate i go on to Twitter and all I see are hastags of Romney/Ryan or saying how Obama is such a better candidate and 4 more years. I remember the days when you were supposed to keep your political beliefs to yourself, not publicly annoucne them on facebook. The candidates use social media in their campaigns to gain followers and I feel that is very wrong. Politics and voting has always been a quiet, individual process and I dont feel that it is right that social media is getting too political. People feel they can say whatever they wouldn't in person because they are behind a computer screen, however, it still provides the same effect. I don't feel it necessary for the president to use YouTube to promote themselves and demote the other runner. I beleive that politics should stay personal and not flooding my homepage of unintelligent beliefs.
I definitely agree that social networks are getting way to political. I’m going to admit that I have participated in tweeting about the election in saying, “honey boo boo child for president,” just because 1. I love Alana Thompson and 2. If I saw one more tweet about how “Romney stinks” or “Obama stop saying “uh” every five seconds,” I literally would have exploded. First of all, it’s annoying and distracts me from reading Shona Rhimes’, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, tweets about the upcoming episode and honestly, tweeting about how much either of them sucks, isn’t going to do pretty much anything except start tweet wars or Facebook wars. I really don’t care that someone hates Obama or expressing their feelings by saying “what kind of name is Mitt?” It doesn’t matter to me, and in the grand scheme of things, arguing about this, isn’t going to “create jobs” or give health care of people who can’t afford it. I get that social networking is all about voicing your opinion, but it’s definitely not to tear people down just because they don’t exactly agree with you.
To be honest I don’t feel that social networking sites are getting to political. On social media sites no one wants to hear about politics because it is the most annoying thing in the world, the people I am friends with on my social media sites aren’t at the age where they can vote so why do you even have a say in what is going on in the Presidential Election. It makes no sense to me why people rant about politics on social media sites when nobody even wants to listen. People should keep themselves off social media sites if they want to talk about politics because nobody wants to listen at our age. The presidential election means nothing to us. On all of these sites such as Facebook and Twitter the Presidential election has become an annoyance to everyone instead of an interest.
Never ever bring up politics anywhere. It is honestly the most annoying thing ever, no one agrees and everyone makes up statistics to sound right. My dad always told me to keep my political opinions to myself because people literally attack you. He was right, and now with Facebook and twitter it’s an all-out war. People take it way too far and when they post racist and stupid remarks online it makes them seem stupid and actually makes the person they are voting for seem worse. Yea I have un-followed people on twitter because they won’t shut up about politics. I believe everyone should have the right to freedom of speech but relax honestly, and I also believe everyone is going to have the same response to this blog question.
I love this question so much because it is all I have been ranting about all week. Personally, I see nothing wrong with those who are informed on a topic expressing their opinions on it--in an atmosphere where it can be appreciated.
Let me elaborate. Many people often ask me why I don't follow people from school on twitter, or allow them to follow me. This is because I have my twitter specifically so I can get Mets news, because I am too lazy to read a newspaper every morning. I get enough of my disappointment in my generation from Facebook, I do not need to get it in 140 characters on another social networking website. So, as a result, the only thing I really tweet about is the Mets, which obviously my classmates have zero interest in seeing all over their timeline. So, in an effort to avoid people telling me I'm twitter-annoying, I just don't allow them to follow me in the first place.
I think everyone would be so much better suited to create twitters or facebook specifically for their political interests so they can develop a social circle comprised of those who share their passion so people like me, who could not give a flying fudge about politics, do not have to see the ignorant, irrelevant political analysis of a teenager. Because 95% of the time, that's all it is: ignorant and irrelevant. You people literally know nothing about anything. Your views on abortion and gay marriage do not override the needs of the economy and country. You fail to recognize this because YOU ARE TEENAGERS. Dear God.
I think that politics are a subject that people can be very defensive about. Because the subject has to deal with the middle class directly 90% of the time in society, people get offended when they do not see eye to eye on a situation that affects both of them equally. It is a great thing for the young population to be involved and want to participate in the election and/or politics for the country, but the hostility can be out of control. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have gotten blown up with Anti Obama and Anti Romney pictures, posts, songs, and other useless media to catch the attention of any naive or uncaring individual. And yet for those who carte so much about their internet popularity but their political views as well, think about what you post. Yes, everybody has the right to post whatever they want. Yes, this is America and we have the right to vote and speak freely. Yes, this is the election; a debate of the two main candidates to run our country for the next 4 years. However, if taking a discussion to the next level of an argument publically or saying things or believing in things that effect a simple friendship is completely out of proportion. Taking everything into account, politics should be for discussion over the dinner table or at the water jug in the office, not engulfing my news feed.
I have noticed a new trend among those people on Twitter and Facebook. The people who I am friends with and the people who I follow have at least once made a posting recently that deals with politics. I do not feel that there is anything wrong with the fact that so many people are taking the time to get involved or even become somewhat aware of the political word. Especially for seniors in high school and college students, the election results this year will play a pivotal role in our future. The more that a student decides to learn and understand the issues going on in politics, the more of an educated choice they can make whn it comes time to vote. When it comes to family get togethers I feel that many times discrepencies among family members become blown out of proportion. My family recently got together and we didi discuss the current presidential nominees and the issues at hand. In my expreiences, while the noise in the room did increase a few decibel levels, there was no extreme fighting that occurred.
Sometimes, it does seem that the topics and issues that are being discussed end up creating arguements on these online social networking sites. While at times they do seeem to become vicious and hostile, they are still working to create a hightened political awareness.
I do not believe that any social networking site can ever become too political. If people dont want to see the political issues on their news feeds all they have to do is not read them.
Politics is a tough subject because people have such strong views on it. With the election going on and social networks great involvement in today’s society, the two are becoming much intertwined. Facebook friends and people on twitter are constantly posting negative statements about the candidate that they are against trying to turn their friends and followers against them. Now that the political debates have just taken place, all one sees on Facebook and Twitter is comments about them. The question is when is it too much? Well, these are personal networks and there is no telling a person what he/she can or cannot post. The idea of Facebook and Twitter especially is to express your feelings, thoughts, and ideas so politics does follow under there. Now this does not mean that friends and family won’t de-friend you or stop following you because there is a good chance that they will. Somebody is has political post everyday can get very annoying. Overall, yes, social networks have become very involved in politics and I do believe that it needs to decrease.
Political views should be allowed to be shared online, because that's what Facebook and Twitter are for: sharing one's opinions to the world. Everyone was given a voice, and they're entitled to use it, whether it's with your voice or typed onto a computer. Whether you're favoring Romney or Obama, why not use Facebook to publish your opinions? You might even find other people that have the same common interests as you do, and have nice conversations with them. Some people might oppose you if you're a different party than they are, but so what? That will never stop me from using my voice to express my feelings. So do we write about our political views on social media websites? I say we definitely should!
With the presidential election coming up and the debates going on,social networking is becoming to political. People on facebook over the past weeks are always posting positive things about who they are supporting in the election or negative things about who they are against in the election. The problem with this is many people are getting into fights and arguing over the two sides. The worst part of this is that most of the time the two people arguing have no idea what they're talking about. Most of the times the people involved in the argument are going off rumors and can't support their argument with actual facts about Romney and Obama. I'm not saying that I know lots of information about Romney and Obama but I don't post about the two of them on facebook. People shouldn't be starting arguments because it just creates problems and people are usually clueless about both Obama and Romney.
I agree in the sense that Social Networking sites are getting extremely political, but that doesn't necessarily mean that that's a bad thing. I think that it is important for people to share their thoughts and opinions, especially with family members. As for discussing politics online I think that it is a good way for everyone to communicate their thoughts with others and I find it beneficial to those who are into the election. Although it can stir arguments it can also have a positive effect on others and maybe even cause people to change their opinions. Politics have become such a major and important aspect to our society and if more people participate then the better the outcome will be.
Yes I believe social networking is getting to political. I feel that expressing your view on Facebook or twitter can run the risk of losing friends and followers. I think that the reason why this happens when people lose their friends is because they just have disagreements. People, whether your friend or not, may have different views than you and they start to dislike you for what you believe in. It’s like religion and people not liking who you are cause of your religion and you get viewed differently. If you argue about someone’s religion on Facebook chances are you’re going to lose friends with someone because it’s just who they are or what they believe in. I see many people on Facebook express their political view about both candidates and I may disagree with them, but I don’t comment on it because somehow it may start a problem. I think people’s political view should not be expressed on Facebook and instead be spoken or argued about in person. I don’t use twitter so I have no ideas on how political views are taken up on there.
Yes I believe social networking is getting to political. I feel that expressing your view on Facebook or twitter can run the risk of losing friends and followers. I think that the reason why this happens when people lose their friends is because they just have disagreements. People, whether your friend or not, may have different views than you and they start to dislike you for what you believe in. It’s like religion and people not liking who you are cause of your religion and you get viewed differently. If you argue about someone’s religion on Facebook chances are you’re going to lose friends with someone because it’s just who they are or what they believe in. I see many people on Facebook express their political view about both candidates and I may disagree with them, but I don’t comment on it because somehow it may start a problem. I think people’s political view should not be expressed on Facebook and instead be spoken or argued about in person. I don’t use twitter so I have no ideas on how political views are taken up on there.
Yes I believe social networking is getting to political. I feel that expressing your view on Facebook or twitter can run the risk of losing friends and followers. I think that the reason why this happens when people lose their friends is because they just have disagreements. People, whether your friend or not, may have different views than you and they start to dislike you for what you believe in. It’s like religion and people not liking who you are cause of your religion and you get viewed differently. If you argue about someone’s religion on Facebook chances are you’re going to lose friends with someone because it’s just who they are or what they believe in. I see many people on Facebook express their political view about both candidates and I may disagree with them, but I don’t comment on it because somehow it may start a problem. I think people’s political view should not be expressed on Facebook and instead be spoken or argued about in person. I don’t use twitter so I have no ideas on how political views are taken up on there.
Yes I believe social networking is getting to political. I feel that expressing your view on Facebook or twitter can run the risk of losing friends and followers. I think that the reason why this happens when people lose their friends is because they just have disagreements. People, whether your friend or not, may have different views than you and they start to dislike you for what you believe in. It’s like religion and people not liking who you are cause of your religion and you get viewed differently. If you argue about someone’s religion on Facebook chances are you’re going to lose friends with someone because it’s just who they are or what they believe in. I see many people on Facebook express their political view about both candidates and I may disagree with them, but I don’t comment on it because somehow it may start a problem. I think people’s political view should not be expressed on Facebook and instead be spoken or argued about in person. I don’t use twitter so I have no ideas on how political views are taken up on there.
Most of the time, people resort to social networking as an impulsive way to express themselves. They're probably feeling really angry or upset, or possibly really excited. No matter what they are feeling, people naturally jump right to social networking to say what they feel like saying. Usually it's because it's at the tips of our fingers; not so much because we care about what our Facebook friends have to say about it. Naturally, people are probably watching the election with smartphone in hand, and when something hits home--they're going to tweet about it. I think the issue lies in people who take social networking way too seriously. If you don't like someone's Facebook status, don't press the like button. Don't comment on it starting a debate. If you do, you're causing your own issues. And honestly, it's not like what someone writes on Facebook will change the world. They're literally typing a status on Facebook. People are free to talk about whatever they'd like on the internet and if you don't like it, don't read it. After all, if all you look forward to after a debate is going online to see what people have to say about it, I seriously suggest you reconsider what's important in your life.
I defiantly think the Social networks are getting way to political. Everyone is always blowing up twitter and the Facebook feeds when one of the debates is on. Both sites start to get very heated between everyone. The social network, everyone is making the statues whether it’s go for Obama, or go for Romney, it’s going to start a fight. People who are strongly into politics and feel your opinion is wrong they are going to make a comment stating they disagree. But this should stop you from posting from what you think is right. You have a voice too and deserve to say who you think is better. And this should not be a topic that you should lose your friends over. It’s just not necessary to let it go that far over a debate to lose someone you were probably very close with.
I personally am not a fan of politics nor like to talk about this matter; however, politics has been talked about more and more and brought up more often due to the upcoming Presidential election. Posting political comments or status’ on Facebook or tweeting something on politics should not make you lose friends or followers. Talking about politics is like every other subject. For example, if you do not like a book and say something about it, you’re expressing your opinion. It’s the same thing as talking about politics. You express your opinion and feelings about a certain political party, leader, etc. However, when people become hostile and rude when discussing politics then it is out of hand and unnecessary. You still need to be considerate of other peoples opinions.
I agree with the statement that by strongly expressing your political view on either Facebook on Twitter you do run yourself the risk of losing “friends” or “followers.” It is one thing to post something once, but once the posts become repetitive and an annoyance to all followers they will most likely either delete you as a friend or un-follow you, at least I know I would. Social networking is a place to express yourself, but at this time politics are taking over these sites! While some people are very interested in these topics, others are not, and to me it is not very pleasurable to turn on to social networking to see it be plastered with topics I am not interested in. Although everyone has the right to post what they want, in my opinion when it becomes excessive and a pain no one cares anymore! I believe that politics is a very controversial and serious topic that should be discussed and argued only by the professionals it applies to. Although every individual has the right to his or her own opinion, there is absolutely no point in people getting into unnecessary fights over social networking sites, when some of them cannot even vote!
The blog question for this week is absolutely perfect for me to answer . It just so happens that on Facebook last night, things such as “Like if you hate Romney and comment if you hate Obama,” were popping up on my newsfeed. Interested, I clicked on the post to view comments. To my surprise, uneducated teenagers who most likely aren’t even at the age to vote, were screaming and cursing at each other, expressing their political views. This made me so angry that I slammed my laptop shut. I honestly can’t take people who spread all over their social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, their opinions on the presidential election. Excuse my language, but no one gives two shits on your political views. Social networking sites these days are definitely getting too political. On Twitter, I constantly see kids bashing each other for liking a certain party, or talking negatively about the president they don’t like. I personally have unfollowed many people because I got sick and tired of hearing over and over again that “Obama ruined our country,” or “if Romney gets to office, he’ll run an autocracy.” I beg all of you, just leave your political views at home, before I lose another brain cell from listening to your uneducated statements about the president.
I agree that social networking is becoming too political. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are meant to talk to your friends and upload pictures, its not supposed to be a politcal debate. Although, i do agree that you should be allowed to express yourself and say your opinion, but Facebook is not the place to do it. There is no need for you to lose friends because of your opinion. If one wants to have a debate about politics with someone else then do it in person, not over the internet. I think that everyone should be involved in their government but not on Facebook. No one else on Facebook, except for the person your talking to, wants to hear you shoot down Obama. Political debates are not meant to be on Facebook.
Things like Facebook and Twitter are essential when it comes to politics these days. Many different kids all over the country have been using these social networking sites to express their ideas about things like the election and the past 2 debates. i think this is a great things. The foundation of politics is argument and disagreement. This was key in forming the different politcial parties that we have today. The past years, kids have not been able to express their thoughts on the subject to anyone but the people around them. Now, kids can debate and support thier arguments with kids all over the country. This has sparked a intrest in politics for teenagers that i don't think has ever been seen before. Maybe social networking is getting too political but it is all a good thing. Having people care about the changes being made in the country is a good thing and if people are loosing friends over it, that is just immature and unfortuante. But the revolution that is happening on the computer is something that people should like and perhaps join.
I agree with the statement that social networks are getting way to political. The loss of “friends” or “followers” on Facebook or Twitter shouldn’t be the effect of an individual’s political views. People need to learn to be more tolerant. You shouldn’t un-follow someone because of their political or religious views. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But in order to avoid this problem because no matter where we go there will always be judgmental people we shouldn’t express those views on Facebook or Twitter. Because the topic of politics is so controversial, it can create many unnecessary conflicts. Some people may feel strongly about something and it’s great that they want to express it but social networking sites are not the place to express that opinion.
I am very surprised to see such an increase of interest in my age group for the upcoming election.Social sites have blown up with opinions of whose better and who is horrible. Yes, I would agree that social networking has been getting rather "political". Here lies the real question, is it a bad thing? Originally the purpose of the "social network" was to create a system to keep people connected without boundaries such as location. It is also a place for anyone to practice their freedom of expression. I am not a huge fan of expressing my political views on social sites. However, it's not wrong to do so. Despite how annoying it is, people have the right to use the social network to express their ideas and opinions of the election. People exchanging their opinions of the nominees on social sites for the election may have a significant effect on voting. I think it is ridiculous that people lose friends over this. Politics shouldn't get in the way of REAL friendships. On facebook or twitter, if they unfriend you or whatever it's not really a big deal. If you were that concerned on keeping all facebook friends, you would be smart enough to not post your controversial opinions.
As someone who is well-informed when it comes to politics for my age I love discussing politics with people. The use of Twitter or Facebook as a medium between people to discuss politics is perfectly fine. It is great to get the knowledge and facts out to the public. Often, many kids don't care or like politics because they don't know what is going on or feel it doesn't effect them. The sad truth is this current election has a major effect on all of our futures. For this reason I feel tweeting and makes posts are alright as long as one knows what is going on and can support their post. I strongly dislike the people who simply say things that their parents are saying or their friends. They should learn what is going on and care about what is going on, and if they are capable, they should be able to say something about it. A lost friend or follower just shows someone who A) doesn't know anything about politics and feels they are too cool for it, or B) isn't actually a friend at all, so that wouldn't have any effect on me personally.
I believe that knowing politics and expressing your opinion is very important. I think even if you do lose followers you should still express yourself. Many people make these very one sided statuses or tweets and many of those people have no idea what they are talking about. Rather than taking these bold stances you should try and educate yourself about the issues. If people get mad about seeing those social networking sites "too political" then I feel it's too bad. That’s the idea of these sights. You’re supposed to hear about hot topics and this presidential debate is a major topic. If you say you don't care about the race then you are taking for granted the right that many other people don't have. Social media sites have become very political but I feel it’s a change for the better. The more people know about a topic the better off they are.
Over the past four years, the over excessive use of social networking has spread like fierce cancer among the people. I honestly find it a bit drastic that our presidential candidates are using twitter to promote their campaign ideas. The fact that they are using twitter like that makes me not take the campaign as seriously. As for my social life and the people around me, social networking seems to be getting minorly political, but it is most likely not going to last. Half the people making posts about politics practically have no idea what they are talking about, they are simply just looking for some attention. Realistically speaking, politics being regarded towards social networking won’t cause any risk of losing friends or followers for the most part; In my opinion it will just promote debates and arguments among people that will fade over good time.
(I was absent the Friday that this was posted)
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