Are you thankful for the Internet?

The Birth of the Internet

Social media and the internet have become a powerful tool for politicians, political campaigns, bloggers, influencers and regular people like me. Growing up as a member of Generation Z, I have observed the evolving power that the internet has. The Internet has expanded access to education, good jobs, and better health; and has created a space for political discussion and provides citizens with direct access to our government. Social media has changed the way people interact with one another. The majority of people have a presence on social media or use the internet daily. Like many of you out there, I could not imagine a life without social media or the Internet.

How the internet has changed

The one aspect that interests me the most is how political engagement has changed with the birth of the internet and social media. The postal system was created for Representatives in congress to communicate with their constituents. Now, Representatives rely on technology to communicate with their constituents. Working in a congressional office this summer I realized how important the internet and social media have become for Representatives in office. Twitter and Facebook have been outlets that Representatives and our President use to inform the public or make a statement on a specific issue. The mainstream media is playing a huge role in the way we are consuming media. We are receiving news media at a higher and faster rate than ever before. During the print and broadcast news era, we had a 24-hour news cycle. With the birth of the internet and social media, we now have the 24/7 news cycle.

The Hybrid Media System

I highly recommend reading “The Hybrid Media System” by Andrew Chadwick, but if you don’t have time to read, I’ll forgive you! Throughout his book, he explores a common theme, the Media Hybrid System. The Media Hybrid System is the emerging integration and balance between older and newer media in politics. I believe that this is a perfect way to explain the balance between old and new media. Political campaigns have changed in the past ten years and exemplify this idea of the hybrid media system. When Obama was running for president, he advertised across all media platforms: television, radio, the internet, billboards, videos and text messages. Obama’s campaign drew attention to how it possible to run an internet campaign that uses all relevant media to have a successful campaign. I am currently working on a campaign and can see how incorporating both old and new media is a vital role to run a successful campaign.

I am thankful for the Internet

The internet and social media have shifted the landscape of politics. Media is very powerful and will continue to evolve in the years to come. News media is readily available to people across the world and that’s crazy. I am constantly getting updates on my phone, twitter and Facebook about a news story. We have access to so much information due to the birth and evolution of the internet. Being a part of Generation Z, I can honestly say that I am thankful for growing up with this much access to the internet and social media. Without the internet I would not be able to post this blog!!