This document discusses the influence of social media on modern political campaigns. It explores how social media, especially Twitter, has become a primary tool for promoting political candidates and how platforms like Facebook have enabled the spread of misinformation. The document examines how social media campaigns target millennials, who frequently check their phones and social media. It also compares current political campaigns, which rely on quick online access, to those of 20-30 years ago. Both the positive and negative impacts of social media are considered, such as the deeper connectivity it enables but also the increased scrutiny and criticism candidates face online.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA’S
SHADOW ON POLITICS
JOSH DECOSTER
SOCIAL MEDIA MEASUREMENT

2. PURPOSE FOR THE RESEARCH PAPER
• For future and current generations to understand the influence of social media in
political campaigns
• To realize how big of an impact that social media has on promoting candidates,
and how it can destroy their running.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA’S INFLUENCE ON POLITICS
• Twitter becoming one of the main promoters for political candidates and
campaigns
• Driving force behind the 2016 election
• Also has spawned “Fake News” as well as Facebook
• ”Meme’s” have also created both good and bad promotion for candidates
• Ted Cruz “zodiac killer” and Bernie Sanders cult following

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• RQ1: Who is the demographic most targeted for social media campaigns?
• RQ2: What is the main difference between political campaigns now versus when
social media wasn’t in creation?
• RQ3: What is the overall impact that social media has both positively and
negatively for political campaigns?

5. RESEARCH QUESTION ONE
• Most targeted age group is millennials
• Millennials check their phones and social media 157 times a day
• The goal for social media campaigns is to get this age group more active
politically
• With social media and internet news becoming more popular, it is harder to
figure out a demographic

7. RESEARCH QUESTION TWO
• Speed and versatility are the two biggest changes in political campaigns versus
20-30 years ago
• Now 43% of American’s get their news from online, 45% from their mobile device
• People can now access anything with the click of a button

9. RESEARCH QUESTION THREE
• Deeper level on connectivity with a campaign
• Each policy stance, Tweet, etc. is going to be dissected and criticized by the world
• Social media now has a snowball effect, and each post by opposite parties will
have to be further thought out and organized

10. LIMITATIONS
• Time constraint
• Data is always changing, especially regarding social media demographics
• Hard to find completely accurate information

11. FUTURE RESEARCH
• This is a topic that will be researched and analyzed for many more years to come
• Will be interesting to see the different ways social media is used for the next
presidential campaign