JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – In these final days before the election, candidates are making their final appeals to voters.

Some choose to connect with voters on social media.

Social media has become a powerful tool for reaching voters. Politicians and even political campaigns are using Internet trends and memes to connect with new audiences.

Keli Jackson, an assistant professor at St. Louis University, said the use of social media in political campaigns was popularized by the Obama campaign, but has skyrocketed in recent years, surpassing traditional media such as commercials. and physical posters.

“People shouldn’t assume that young people are disengaged or disengaged or disengaged because they don’t engage with traditional media,” Jackson said. “They’re participating and it’s happening online.”

Jackson said he has watched both major political parties hone social media in different ways. While Republicans tend to use social media as a way to communicate directly with voters; Democrats tend to follow the trends of influencers and celebrities.

“We see both parties engaging in online meme wars as well, and that is absolutely one way that social media is being used to reach younger voters of both parties,” Jackson said.

Unfortunately, Jackson said there is a downside to social media’s role in politics. The anonymity of the Internet may be contributing to the division we see in politics, as people feel more comfortable attacking others online.

Young voters like Charlie Dahlgren are participating in the election cycle in a different way.

“With the amount of time I spend on social media, it’s hard to deny that at least the opinion content I consume comes from social media,” Dahlgren said.

While they are active on social media, several first-time voters, like Landis Canada, say it’s not the only way they get their information.

“I communicate a lot with my family about it, and it’s just because my family is a little diverse in terms of our views, and so I inform myself through that and just my own research,” Canada said.

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