We have seen over the past few years the amount of influence technology has had on campaigns. We don’t receive our messages how we once used to; we now live in a world where everyone has a black berry and iphone. In the article “Technology reshaping campaigns” from news-record.com author Gerald Witt, explains, “Technology in the 2008 election is eroding the power of campaigning through traditional media — television, radio and print.” We know longer look to the television we just pick up our cell and look online to find the latest news. Blogs and emails are the new social networking way for us all. These are new ways for people to get politically involved, but are they necessarily the best way is the question?
I personally find this way of media best for a lot of people but this also raises another question and that is are these new ways of technology a motivated disengagement for people? As much as I find these new technologies easier for people because you can look online, I also think it goes back to this concept of motivated disengagement because a lot people might be motivated to not think about politics. When the only way to pay attention to an election was through television, radio and print did it make people more engaged? In the article it also discusses how so many people don’t even understand how they ever lived without a cell phone because it is something that is basically attached to our hips. Melissa Westmorelan a 24 year old UNCG graduate and regular facebook junkie had to say ““I look back to what we were doing four years ago, and I think, 'Oh my gosh, how did we get anything done with the tools that we had then?” I wouldn’t take it that far to say how did we get anything done, but it’s weird to think about. Do you feel disengaged?
http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/10/31/article/technology_reshaping_campaigns
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It's difficult for me to identify exactly what it is that makes an individual feel disengaged. For me, technology has made it easier to be engaged. On Twitter, I follow all of the major news networks and politicians. Via google reader, I am subscribed to all of the blogs of interest. And all of these things are accessible via my BlackBerry.
ReplyDeleteI think that people who are indeed disengaged are because they believe that things will work out for the best. They have that belief that the government will work it out for us.
-JL