The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

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Why Twitter shouldn’t be the primary mode of communication for politicians

Several weeks ago, the official twitter account for Senator Ted Cruz “liked” a not-so-safe-for-work tweet. This action led to an explosion of buzz all over the social media site, with Cruz’s name at the top of the “trending” list. This phenomenon is just one of many twitter “slips” made by politicians, celebrities and other people who live their lives in the public eye. These simple and easy mistakes can ruin a reputation or sway the judgement of voters, whether the “owners” of the account make them or not.

According to the Washington Post, Cruz claims that the tweet was “liked” by a staffer who had access to the account, which further reiterates how many people have access to a notable person’s twitter. Multiple staffers work behind the screen in hierarchical positions, to write tweets, interact with constituents, and even dictate what content is “re-tweeted.” This means that 10+ people have access to an account, and can therefore, easily make mistakes.

One of the most notable politicians who uses twitter is President Donald Trump. Although what is most unconventional about the president’s account is that it is run by Trump himself, which is highly irregular. One quick glance at Trump’s twitter will display many examples of long, confusing tweets each one more confusing and grammatically incorrect than the last. It is not uncommon for Trump’s tweets to spill over the 140-character limit, which results in long, broken strands of text, that obviously haven’t been proofread.

For Trump’s supporters, his twitter is a more personal way for the president to interact with them and to communicate, rather than tuning into C-SPAN, or the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, to get their information. For his critics, the President’s use of the account is messy and irresponsible.

Among Trump’s critics sits Evan Williams, co-founder of the Twitter social network. In an interview with Newsweek, Williams said he believes that Trump’s use of social media to win the election is emblematic of how social media “dumbs down the entire world.” Williams says that Trump is a “symptom” of a “media ecosystem” that is driven by a need for attention. To sum up William’s argument, social media has created shorter attention spans and basic interests, making it easy for a politician “with no substance,” to rise.

Social media has an incredible impact on how people view the world, in fact some people are addicted. The use of twitter has revolutionized both the way news is presented- and how politicians interact with it. Communication is easier and faster, and much more irreversible. That’s why mistakes like Cruz’s can be career ruiners. Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.

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