It's Good To Follow Your Government Summary

Improved Essays
Social media makes it possible to do more than share side-splitting memes on Facebook or our favorite do-it yourself projects on Pinterest. According to the Center for Democracy & Technology, "The Internet and new technologies give individuals the ability to publish and receive information, participate in political processes and share knowledge...User choice and control, which allow individuals to decide what to say, publish and access online, are essential parts of protecting free expression rights" (Center for Democracy & Technology). Our world flourishes with information because social media bridges the gap between diverse societies and cultures in the way we exchange ideas and express ourselves. The way we freely express and receive information on social media benefits …show more content…
Robert Berkman discusses the significance of social media's impact on governmental affairs and the American public. In the article "It's Good to Follow Your Government: Keeping Up with U. S. Federal Agencies Via Social Media", Berkman explains the dynamic structure social media entails as federal agencies attempt to connect to the public. Social media provides government agencies a means to quickly engage social media users with the most up-to-date information. Berkman expounds upon the processes of effective communication, explains how to seek and filter information, and describes the traits of inclusive communications (Berkman 46+). Additionally, social media is a trailblazer in online activism. There are many nonprofit organizations using social media as a means to freely share their campaigns. Thus, petitions are written and shared on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Similarly, sites like Change.org are where the rest of us can create our own petitions. Executing our First Amendment right through social media ensures we reach the breadth of audience we desire and

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Once it was heard that a friend or acquaintance of yours or someone you knew was involved in a movement, it was highly likely that they would join the sort of bandwagon that was formed and fight for their rights and beliefs as well. After reading upon this, it is very clear evidence that without the use of social media, social change and reform was possible even though time has changed. Today social media which was created for the sharing of day-to-day lives of people, has greatly impacted the social activism world. When there is any controversial social situation, society’s initial way of finding out these events is through the means of social media.…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As Gladwell so eloquently put social media “makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact” (9).…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With the advent of computers and eventually the internet the way we talk to each other has changed. Anyone in the world can login to their computers and go on web sites such as Facebook, Twitter, ect. People can talk to each other instantly with no delay and spread their thoughts, ideas, and more to one another. Thompson uses the example of the Arab Spring as a way social media spread a common idea to people in multiple countries. He explained how on a civic level, social media helps “dispel traditional political problems”.…

    • 1395 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social Media as the new era of Technology It is very interesting how Rob key defined social media. He says that “this is not a direct marketing tool, this is human communication.” He states that social media is now the new form of human comunication in which it is just the beginig of the new era of communication. In the Article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted,” Malcolm Gladwell explains the influence that social media has on activism in modern times.…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.2.2012.0001. This paper seeks to determine whether or not the use of social media by advocacy groups within the United States political sphere has any effect on civic engagement and collective action. The authors explore both the pros and cons of social media, saying it helps reach many people, but may not actually accomplish anything in terms of collective action and civic engagement. Using qualitative and quantitative data from 169 representatives from 53 advocacy groups, the researchers determined that almost all advocacy groups surveyed considered social media to be a useful tool in engaging citizens and motivating collective action. The participants were asked to rank five social media platforms based on their effectiveness in generating positive and active outcomes.…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a result, we do not use our own heads to formulate ideas, but rather rely on others to think for us. This is dangerous, especially in a society where our opinions and ability to influence change are the most powerful qualities we have. In the past ten years, social media has been so influential for any political action because of this weakness we all have. This weakness has been exploited, whether it be for good or for worse. Barack Obama used social media to swing the election in his favor, securing the title of first black president.…

    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Additionally, social media usage has helped social movements attract participants, get media attention, and work around the constraints of its…

    • 1088 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The political power of the social media; driving change and growth in 2015 Retrieved from: HYPERLINK "https://medium.com/human-development-project/the-political-power-of-social-media-driving-change-and-growth-in-2015-3d9120f7827a" https://medium.com/human-development-project/the-political-power-of-social-media-driving-change-and-growth-in-2015-3d9120f7827a on November 15, 2015 Fields, U., (2008). Media: the fourth branch of the government Retrieved from: HYPERLINK "http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=34&id=38337" http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=34&id=38337 on November 15, 2015 Gangadharan, S., (2014). Public participation and agency discretion in rule making at the federal communications commission. Journal of Communication Inquiry, Sage Publications McCombs, M., (2005). A look at agenda setting: past, present and future University of Texas publications, Austin, U.S.A Rabinowitz, A., (2012).…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Never before has it been easier to communicate with social networking sites and applications. Americans are able to send tweets, hit the Facebook like button, and see the immediate impact of their message. More than the ability to communicate faster, the technology, which is used, enables Americans to communicate further and efficiently. For government officials, new communication technology means a different approach to media and information. Web technology enables collaboration, but smartphone apps, texting, and email enables instantaneous collaboration.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A study that states social media can bring about group action is referenced, and it is stated that those who participate in protests are often social media users. Three reasons are given as to why social media prompts political change. First, social media can be used as a news source. Second, it is a space where opinions can be spread. Lastly, social media is a place where people can join movements and discover what else they can do for said movement.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The good is also seen where there is bad good is present and the government might be one of the places people tend to not see the right done by the government. In the article “Amy, Douglas J. "Government Is Good." Achievements of Government.” it states the forgotten achievements of the government or achievements that the government has completed. It's hard to see the right that the government has done when people tend to only notice the bad as even stated in the article “One of the most persistent myths about American government is that it has a poor record of achievement.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Everyone uses it one way or another, social media runs the world. Anyone can voice their opinions and thoughts, but can social media really create a global change? Malcolm Gladwell, the author of the New Yorker article Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted, argues that groups using social media to achieve change will never gain strong enough ties or commitment to make a difference. Gladwell’s article, written in 2010, compares some of today's activism to the Greensboro sit-in in 1960. The article covers how social media has been used to gather an audience and create small changes.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A current trend in the group known as “BLM” or “Black Lives Matter” was started as a simple hashtag on social media. The BLM group is rallied online by starting and participating in protests. Black Lives Matter has used social media as a tool to make awareness for their cause and did so by gathering others to rally. Politicians use social media to advertise their campaign and to rally their supporters when making a point. Politicians do this on social media to spread publicity, this helps bring their supporters together to rally for a common cause ( “The Impact of Social Media on Society”).…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Free Expression through Social Media As Americans we have been granted the right to Freedom of Speech. Hence, we are protected to speak freely, but there are exceptions to this right. Therefore, we are allowed to express ourselves freely through multiple outlets such as through television, radio, and internet. The latter has been a prominent way of expression for Americans recently, especially with the creation of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.…

    • 1397 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social media appears to be a source of equality and fairness. For one, it is an accessible outlet to the general public, so long as internet is available. Not only does everyone have a voice on social media, but one can utilize their has freedom of speech. There are no limits as to what can or cannot be said on social media. Through this medium, it becomes easier for a person to exercise his or her freedom of expression.…

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays