Use the Internet/Social Media to Your Advantage
Never before has politics been subject to such a high level of all-inclusive interactivity. Without a viral presence, perhaps the 2008 Presidential election would have followed a different course. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, along with a wide variety of other platforms, have irreversibly changed the course of history, with older community members now struggling to keep up with what comes to younger crowds as second nature. If nothing else, follow a candidate or cause you support and get similarly aligned friends to do the same. Use skills you’ve honed in your free time to your advantage on the political front. To be honest, people over the age of 25 are only beginning to understand the power of mediums such as Facebook in the way that those who have grown up with regular access to social media are already accustomed to. If you can help to accrue an internet following by presenting well-articulated points and/or unique, original thoughts in a creative way, the news media and of-age voters will undoubtedly take notice. The key is illuminating your logic and rationale in a way that either has never been seen before or is distinctively memorable. This can be achieved using a variety of different strategies, whether via powerful emotional appeals, striking imagery or timely use of humor, to name a few, though finding a middle ground to relate to or persuade a wide range of viewers is easier said than done.On a more local level, say you want to start a petition in protest to an injustice you’ve witnessed in the local community. Social media gives you easy access to a network of people to whom you can reach out with just a few clicks. In previous generations, more tedious endeavors were required in order to get the ball rolling on even the most trivial issues. Spreading awareness and rallying likeminded activists together has been made substantially easier as a result of the millions of messages passed back and forth daily online, even among just the people you already know, and no one spends more time social networking than teens and young adults.
