Assignment:
1. Respond to two (2) posts by your classmates regarding their views on media influence on political values and whether you agree with whether the media positively or negatively influenced the current event they identified. Your responses should be at least two paragraphs long. A paragraph consists of at least three sentences.
2. Your response to the prompt should be at least three paragraphs long. A paragraph consists of at least three sentences.
Part 1
The role that social media has in shaping citizens' political values depends on the individual. I think that social media can be very addictive and confirmation bias can play a role in how much information a person believes when reading it on social media. Social media helps news organizations distribute their news, but it is not the only way people can learn about what is going on in the world.
I believe that my own political values have not been tainted by the media, but my opinions of certain individuals are sometimes swayed one way or another depending on certain stories I come across. One example of this is when I read that Trump had been caught in a sex scandal. I equate this to similar actions done by Bill Clinton, where Clinton had to answer for his indiscretion and Trump is still in the White House like nothing is going on. I do not think it is right that you punish one person and not another.
An event that I believe was influenced by the media was the Parkland, Florida shootings. I believe that it was a positive influence because it brought attention to the growing issue of gun violence that we are currently experiencing. It takes strong individuals to stand up to corporations and the government and demand that something change before it is too late.
Part 2
There has never been a better time in history for media to reach so many. With the invention of the internet and all the social media networks, more and more of the younger generation now have the ability to see, read and hear current political issues and to form their political value system based on this information. Due to the enormous popularity of social media and the fact that millennials are more inclined to use this technology to express their political beliefs and find like-minded individuals to discuss issues with; the political culture has taken a huge leap.
For example, more and more politicians are posting on social media sources with the intent to help gauge reactions to current topics. We have all seen or at least heard about how much President Trump "tweets". I for one feel that the ability for politicians to be able to post in real time and respond, make them seem more approachable and more relevant; especially to the younger generation. My only fear is that within the last 15-20 years more and more people are using the internet and its sources for information and then taking it as gospel. Anyone can post on the internet; fact or fiction. It is the duty of the reader to verify the information.
With so many of us only involved in government issues that directly affect us, in my opinion, this leaves a lot of political issues out there that could use a little more focused attention. For example, money and the economy. While money is always talked about and definitely spent, the real question is whether the money is being spent in the most beneficial way. Should that money be allocated for education, global-warming and/or air and water quality issues, health care reform or any number of other issues.
I believe that for my own personal political issues, specifically in the last presidential election, my views about the candidates were shaped not so much by what platforms they were running on but, on the media running the constant mud-slinging. I don't particularly care for all the drama and the muddier and nastier it got, the more I become frustrated and pulled back. If the media and candidates alike would focus more on the actual issues, I would feel a better sense of security with the candidate options presented.
On of the most disturbing current events that I have the biggest problems with is the MeToo movement. First and foremost I find it completely disgusting that those that actually perpetrated the crimes and are guilty, how they even thought their actions would never come to light and be discovered.
I believe that these are very sick individuals that need help and also need to pay for their actions. If the victims were not brave enough to speak out through the media and tell their stories, the guilty would most likely continue. I feel that although the whole situation is negative, those that were able to speak out brought to light a very sensitive issue and it has now created a very positive outcome. Other victims now know that they don't have to feel alone or be the first to pave that road.