Internet Cultured: Midterm elections prove the power of social media


Shideh Ghandeharizadeh | Daily Trojan

Last week, the Nov. 6 midterm elections consumed the news, and it was nearly impossible to find a screen that didn’t feature any political content.

For once, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat served a purpose aside from broadcasting personal content intended to garner meaningless likes and validation. Even if a user was mindlessly scrolling through their social media, they would receive politically relevant material. A shocker, I know.

Considering the mass amount of social media engagement on content about the election, people were more aware and proactive about voting than ever before. Yes, social media activism may have, in fact, played a strong role in encouraging voters, especially younger ones, to get to the polls and have their voices heard.

Historically, midterm elections tend to receive less attention in the public and news media, resulting in lower voter turnout than presidential elections. In the 2014 midterms, eligible voter turnout was a dismal 36.7 percent, compared to the presidential election’s 60.2 percent. The recent 2018 midterms, however, saw more than a 47 percent voter turnout, according to early estimates from the United States Election Project. That’s the highest midterm turnout in over 50 years, nearly rivaling the 49 percent record set in the 1966 midterms.

Most notably, youth voters typically exhibit the worst turnout rates, but this midterm election cycle saw hope for a rising generation of political activists. An estimated 31 percent of voters aged 18-29 cast their ballots in 2018, compared with 21 percent in 2014, according to an exit poll conducted by Tufts University.

As this nail-biting election came down to the wire, social media became the thing to watch.

As digital platforms have grown over the last decade, each election cycle has seen increased use of varying social platforms for campaigning and voter advocacy. Sure, front lawn signs and television advertisements continue to play traditiona roles in campaigns, but with the average person spending over two hours a day on social media, the digital space undoubtedly is a strategic place to reach young voters.

Looking back, social media became the hotspot for political discourse in 2016. Between President Donald Trump’s infamous tweets and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s painful attempt to relate to millenial voters, everyone seemed to jump at the opportunity to make a political comment via tweets, memes and Facebook posts.

Since the controversial events following Trumps’ election, the climate surrounding social media activism has seen a dramatic shift. Instead of simply engaging in online political content and calling it a day, young voters realized they actually have to mobilize to the polls if they want to see change.

As Nov. 6 neared, I could not log on to any social media platform without coming across a post related to the midterms.

Beyond celebrity endorsements — like the “Taylor Swift effect” that saw 160,000 newly registered voters within 48 hours after the singer backed Democrats via an Instagram post — my timeline was filled with peers encouraging one another to vote. Posting about early voting, voting at the polls, “I Voted” stickers, proposition endorsements, you name it: young voters found a way to make voting aesthetically pleasing for a good social media post. Of course, I already planned on voting, but seeing so many of the people I follow participating in their civic duty made me all the more excited to cast my vote, especially since I would get to make a post about it, too.

However, even with an increase in youth voter turnout, online trends cannot always predict election results.

Namely, candidates like Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who ran to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, gained a large social media following for his progressive nature and youthful appeal. Even Beyoncé sported a “Beto for Senate” hat on Instagram hours before the polls closed.

Based on the outpouring of support for O’Rourke online, many assumed he was a shoo-in for the Senate, but he ended up losing to incumbent Ted Cruz narrowly. Nonetheless, O’Rourke’s active presence on social media helped draw the largest midterm election voter turnout in decades, which is a significant step in the right direction.

One week ago today, I sat on the edge of my seat on the third floor of Wallis Annenberg Hall as I watched the results poor in from one of the most important midterm elections in my lifetime. The building was packed full of similarly anxious onlookers, with many letting out cheers or boos in response to live updates. Though I left Annenberg Hall with mixed feelings (especially toward my home state of Florida’s unpredictability), I felt empowered because I was surrounded by so many peers who were eager to partake in changing our country for the better. I’m ecstatic that social media is finally playing a legitimate role in this process.

Up next for young voters: It’s time to start tweeting about #2020.

Rowan Born is a sophomore majoring in journalism and  law, history and culture. She is also the social media editor of the Daily Trojan. Her column, “Internet Cultured,” runs every other Tuesday.