Hardcore Politics Do Not Belong in the Facebook Arena!

Like at the dinner table, there are a number of topics that should be consciously excluded from discussion on social networking sites. If we were to follow old- school ethics that our grandparents raised us on, political opinions and fierce debate wouldn't be spoken aloud at all. And yet, Facebook and Twitter are being used at platforms for political agenda, lobbying and fierce debate. Tsk tsk.

If you don't have anything entertaining to say,  don't say it at all!
(Image from Draco2032. (2010).  America's Taboo Language. http://draco2032.blogspot.com/2010/03/americas-taboo-language.html )

As Jess raised in 'Should Politicians be Using Social Media Sites' (2011), people 'add' or 'follow' politicians on said sites to 'connect' with them as people, rather than just as a public figures. Getting to know them on a personal level, and to an extent 'humanising' the cold figure that most government members embody, may in fact broaden their support base. But in this bloggers opinion, if you're a politician with a public Facebook page - unless you're sharing an anecdote about your failed Masterchef attempt or the ongoing, awful smell of your campaign bus- it doesn't belong on Facebook. It is a guilty pleasure for most and a procrastination tool for an even larger majority - both groups who probably don't desire to have their leisure time sullied by controversial debates and well... Serious topics full stop. 


But as Hamelink (2006) highlights, computers have 'created a virtual reality in which truth and lies, real and unreal, can no longer be distinguished.' In other words, unless Today Tonight attacks their online credibility, who are we to distinguish political truths from lies? Most seem to have no qualms with lying during campaigns, so when given the freedom of the keyboard and the absence of their speech writers, it's only a matter of time before the scandals begin to unfold right..? I can't wait; Afterall, isn't that what keeps us enthralled with social networks? 




REFERENCES


Macintyre, J. (2011).'Should Politicians be using social media sites?'. In New Media Interpretation. Accessed March 28, 2011 from http://jmcintyrekbc206.blogspot.com/2011/03/should-politicians-be-using-social.html

Hamelink, C. (2006). The Ethics of the Internet: Can we cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net? In Ideologies of the Internet, K. Sarikakis & Daya Thussu, pp. 115-130. New Jersey: Hampton Press.

(https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB206/KCB206_BK_313947.pdf)