Social media changes voter privacy

Although I did not pay as much attention to the presidential elections or politics when I was young, I definitely do not remember people being too open on their political stances.

Thanks to social media, one can find out another person’s political views by simply visiting his or her Facebook or Twitter.

While these outlets are sufficient ways to communicate and get the word out about politics and any other opinion or news, I feel people take advantage of it in some ways.

I saw multiple pictures on social media sites of people holding up their voter ballots.
This is illegal in some, but not all, states.

Whether this is to make everyone aware they were voting at all or make everyone aware who they were voting for, I feel it is unnecessary.

According to a survey done by Pew Research, almost 30 percent of all voters under the age of 50 shared their ballot choices with the world.

However, only 17 percent of people over the age of 50 shared their choices.

More than half of my Facebook and Twitter timeline during the election was not only political support to favorite candidates, but it was mostly fights amongst “friends” on who the better candidate is and why.

I understand people are very opinionated and would like for everyone agree on their viewpoint, but people are always going to disagree when it comes to politics. Forcing one’s opinion on every Facebook friend or Twitter follower is not going to change the election outcome.

It is also, most likely, not going to change another person’s political stance.

Obviously, the hype about social media plays a huge role in people’s ease of voicing their opinions but several elections ago, I doubt people were so vocal on their standpoints.

It was their personal decision and opinion, and they normally kept it to themselves with the exception of a sign in their yard or a bumper sticker.

Ultimately, from now on I feel people are not going to stop openly voicing their political opinions but they should probably leave the debates to the presidential candidates.