This is the 21st century and speed communication has been for decades one of our most valuable assets. With all the technology development, the easy accessibility to information and a little help from the world wide web we are now capable of using communication to establish network with people all over the world. Somehow, internet and social communication became an essential tool for all of us nowadays. We started with the radio, upgraded to the TV and now the most used tools are smart phone with internet and computers (PSU, WC, Psych 424, lesson 9, 2016). Everything we are exposed on our social environment can be easily assessed in the internet; all of our interests, knowledge, social interactions, our identity influences, lifestyle and beliefs (Manago, Graham, Greenfield, & Salimkhan, 2008). The online world is a large group of people interacting with each other without having to be at same place, the result for the large mixture of interactions is that our perceptions and beliefs about our environment very often are changed by newer concepts or facts that surface every day on a quick speed, sometimes faster than we can follow. This persuasive invisible environment has changed the ways we form our constructs about the world; and as much benefits the media in general and internet has brought to us, it also has started dramatic changes in the way we behave and perceive politics, health, religion and violence (Schneider, Grumman, & Coutts, 2012).
Politics is already a very controversial field because it involves human rights and personal beliefs. With the internet as our ally, our ways of thinking have been persuaded and we are now capable of being politically critic about leaders, laws, civic rights and participation. Some of this online influences can be positive and make our political system work in our favor, or it can be negative and cause social revolution when the population does not agree with their leaders. Recent research has shown that of those who connect to social network 40% had used them to engage in some political activity (Zhang, Johnson, Seltzer, & Bichard, 2010). For instance, many people have developed credibility in political online polls with the course of a virtual interaction. Their values and political expectations have changed due to exposure to all kinds and sources of different political views (Amichai, 2013). In a society where all of us want to contribute socially and be accepted by our peer group, share and follow idealist politic views is very common. In this scenario, trust on online political matters is defined as expectations that ‘‘people have of each other, and institutions in which they believe such as their political party” (Zhang, et. Al., 2010). As we all seek a moral social order, which is fundamental for organized societies, we expect political organizations to be responsible for this assurance; and with the use of the technology, they can easily reach citizens and spread our shared ideals (Zhang, et. Al., 2010, p. 76).
The Internet nowadays is used in a daily basis to build this civic participation among communities; in essence, the effect of the Internet on civic participation is contingent upon how individuals use the Internet. Information-oriented use such as information acquiring and exchange on the Internet provides users with opportunities for civic recruitment and further encourages political participation of the members of a community (Zhang, et. Al., 2010, p. 78). Online politics can also increase social tolerance and open discussions about community needs. Overall, because the young population does use internet for all their social needs, they are more likely to engage and participate in political decisions, such as the presidential election for 2016 if political parties and other online polls incentive them to do so. It is essential that we all have access to information regarding our social environment, and the internet of all the communication resources has proven to be very effective on this aspect.
However, we need to remember that the use of technology and internet can at some point be dangerous if our influences come across as extremists. Political views need to be respected in an individual level and even with the online access to others perspectives, we need to keep in mind that everyone has the right to protect and share their own opinion without harassment. Some participation in online political content can be viewed as illegal if it infringes the first amendment (Zhang, et. Al., 2010). Because the internet is a large interacting group, it should be cautious to interact with others respecting their rights and beliefs; and let them chose by themselves if they want to change it. The internet and media are everywhere in our lives, the same as politics in our social environment. For that reason, we should carefully consider how we let the internet influence or change our perceptions about politics and other important matters.
References
Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2013). The social net: Understanding our online behavior (Second ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordscholarship.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199639540.001.0001/acprof-9780199639540-chapter-005
Manago, A. M., Graham, M. B., Greenfield, P. M., & Salimkhan, G. (2008). Self-presentation and gender on Myspace. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(6), 446-458. Doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.001 Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/science/article/pii/S0193397308000749
Penn State University, World Campus (Fall, 2016). Psych 424: Lesson 8. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802487/discussion_topics/11378502?module_item_id=21233980
Schneider, F.W., Grumman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012) Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
VanHuysse, J. L., Burt, S. A., O’Connor, S. M., Thompson, J. K., & Klump, K. L. (2016). Socialization and selection effects in the association between weight conscious peer groups and thin-ideal internalization: A co-twin control study. Body Image, 17, 1-9. Retrieved from: http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/1795490319?accountid=13158
Zhang, W., Johnson, T. J., Seltzer, T., & Bichard, S. L. (2010). The revolution will be networked: The influence of social networking sites on political attitudes and behavior. Social Science Computer Review, 28(1), 75-92. doi:10.1177/0894439309335162. Retrieved from http://ssc.sagepub.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/content/28/1/75.full.pdf+html