Cause-Effect Essay(Analyze the impact of the internet on political Essay

Cause-Effect (Analyze the impact of the internet on political campaigns and elections) - Essay Example The internet has become one of the most popular sources for campaigning during elections and the most popular communication channel. Most of the political parties take the help of the mainstream social networking websites like Face book, twitter as well as MySpace to connect to the people and convert them. Electoral candidates gather their supporters from the internet. The candidates often share information and ask for feedback through emails (Kluver, 97). This enables them to come in touch with their supporters instantaneously. In the past elections instances have been there where president Obama has communicated to his supporters through personalised emails. Research has proved that internet had been the level playing field and a major platform for the competition between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney before the last Presidential Elections and both of the candidates had spent more than a billion dollar on this. Digital Advertising had been a growing area where even the political par ties are investing into. The parties also mimicked the popular social networking sites like Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and YouTube and have been successful in getting leads for any kind of fundraising programme or acquiring the votes of the supporters and converting the non supporters. These networking sites enable the parties to target each community and spread messages to specific demographic segments and thereby addressing specific needs. The funds that the parties require for successfully carrying out of the operations can be collected from the followers of these networking sites and also enables people to feel connected to the person whom they want to vote as would be President. But such funds are only donated by a certain section of the society who is wealthy and educated (Chadwick and Howard, 145). Thus people have more involvement in the election process. Survey revealed that 80% of the information flow related to the elections took place in the internet. Like the other daily chores that the common people undertake on the internet like banking and shopping, the information exchange is also taking place on the internet. Campaign on the internet also turns out to be a cost effective one because the costs of advertising on the television and buying air time is costly (Bimber and Davis, 8). The main motive for the political party is to stand out from its rivals. However, how much of this campaign is actually being converted into positive votes is questionable. The information that is circulated through the net is short lived and the supporters cannot retain such information for a longer period of time. However, the people have been constantly been addressed by the candidate through this path. Much of the section of the population is not computer literate. They do not know the use of computers. For them this kind of force of publicity is not acceptable as it does not reach them. The parties have to devise different strategies in that case. The social media c hannel reaches mostly the young people but studies prove that young people do not actually cast their votes on the day of the elections. However, it has made politics more transparent in front of the common man. Due to the use of the internet the political parties and the candidates can save a lot of time because they can reach out to a greater number of audiences in a shorter span of time. A lot of talented people who are good at strategising are getting engaged in the process and