The closer the presidential election gets, the more intense the race becomes – including on social media. Although Meta reported In 2022, Americans have already begun to appreciate that only about 3% of content on Facebook is political prepare for it for a flood of political news, ads, AI deepfakes and arguments of their feeds over the subsequent few weeks.
Elections are stressfuland they have an inclination to worsening Americans’ negative mental health symptoms. For some people, social media can increase the impact political stress aspects.
Despite the tensions arising in users' digital feeds, an upcoming election doesn't mean people need to avoid social media entirely. If used correctly, social media can still be successful necessary source of political information and an exit too express opinions. I studied How people navigate social media during elections, and I would like to share three strategies to provide help to prepare your accounts for this election season so you may stay connected to the things that matter without drowning in partisan back-and-forth.
1. Check your feeds
While elections might be stressful, in addition they offer a probability to take ownership of the content you eat online – or, as digital culture expert Jessa Lingel says, “Be your personal algorithm.” Before November, take the time to review your social media ecosystem by considering the accounts you follow and the settings you could have set.
Social media platforms and their algorithms have raised widespread concerns about their role in political polarization, as they permit people to isolate themselves in echo chambers that reinforce their very own views. People with different political opinions can find yourself there significantly different material on their social media feeds.
While research suggests that echo chamber experiences are possible generally limited to very partisan peopleIt's price taking a critical have a look at your feeds. Consider diversifying the content you see on social media, reminiscent of following people whose life experiences differ from your personal.
On the opposite hand, take a breather before unfollowing people you disagree with during tense moments. Although it might be unpleasant to come across political disagreements online, studies show that intentionally hiding these opinions might be quite unpleasant contribute to polarization.
Research has shown that individuals who see more political news on social media may achieve this more prone to develop into politically lively offline.
However, behind the scenes, platforms are taking steps to limit users' exposure to political content. For example, Meta recently implemented features that limit the quantity of political content users see Facebook, Instagram and threads. The setting has been activated because the starting of the 12 months by default. Now is a great time to double-check that your account settings reflect the content and ad personalization settings that work best for you. If you want, you may re-enable political content using the settings available through Content Settings Facebook And Instagram.
2. Remain skeptical and practice keeping your distance
Misinformation on social media continues to be a persistent problem during elections. This 12 months, AI-generated images pose a specific threat to misinformation, especially when shared by others the presidential candidates himself.
The News Literacy Project has arrange a 2024 Election Misinformation Dashboard Das has already compiled over 600 examples of inaccurate viral content related to this election, including misleading memes, doctored photos and videos, and quotes taken out of context.
Platforms reminiscent of TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram have also taken measures to make sure this AI-generated images are labeled on their pages. These methods that discover AI through Scan image metadata and seek for hidden watermarksare still recent and it’s unclear how well they work.
It is just not enough to hope that the platforms' systems protect users. You should view information concerning the election with skepticism, especially if it triggers an emotional response in you.
Studies prove this Fake news tends to trigger more negative emotionslike anger, sadness and disgust, as real news.
Disturbing news makes people wish to take motion.
A study found that individuals had stronger emotional reactions to fake news headlines expressed greater intentions People who comment, share, or like articles than those that weren’t emotionally moved to reply. Pay attention to your emotional reactions to the headlines and pictures you encounter on social media and take time to step back, process and process Verify the knowledge against sources you realize to be reliable before sharing.
Image by Marie LaFauci/Moment via Getty Images
3. Create protected havens for social media
Especially in elections, the ideals of “good citizenship“Putting pressure on people to stay awake up to now on the most recent political news. Social media can provide countless election updates, but simply because the knowledge is widely available doesn't mean you could have to continually engage with it. It's possible to remain informed while staying connected to the fun elements of social media, even when the election is on everyone's lips.
Different platforms can serve various political functionswhich could include helping you with this Set boundaries around political information. Just as you select to take a break from stressful circumstances by taking a walk or calling a friend, you might also select to make use of some social media spaces primarily to calm down while still engaging with political details about others.
This may mean joining a brand new platform or creating an alternate account on a platform you already use. While people are likely to Reach out to X, Reddit, TikTok and Facebook For politics, you might decide to curate a couple of accounts with less deal with political content, for times while you need a break.
No matter the way you prepare your social media feeds for the election, do not forget that feelings of stress surrounding the election are normal. Many elements of elections can spiral uncontrolled, but taking control of your social media feeds means that you can manage your political information weight-reduction plan for the higher.
image credit : theconversation.com