The Power of Facebook During an Election Year

Allen (2003) found that "Though many of us like to distance ourselves from it, the sense in which power is out there ready to be wielded or clung on to or flaunted is deeply ingrained." Every day on Facebook throughout an election year, I see its users taking advantage of its power, breaching the previously unspoken social etiquette of never discussing religion or politics. That is why I have chosen Facebook as my virtual network and will be keeping my own identity. Facebook is also arguably the most powerful social platform,
given that it would be the third largest country in the world if Facebook were a country (Kairos Advantage LLC, 2013).

Image from: http://blogsession.co.uk/2013/01/facebook-statistics-2013/

During an election year, my News Feed is full of various political opinions. Users grasp the power afforded to them and spread their political beliefs (whether factual or not) to sway political opinion. The most controversial statements always result in the most comments and likes. It is this kind of power behind a keyboard that bares resemblance to the key functions of maps. "Maps show things from the perspective of their creators, and the maps that become the post popular or important show us the perspective of the powerful." (Petray, T. 2013).  I also  find that travelling through the social network of Facebook that I experience more freedom than in physical space. At the tips of my fingers, I can hold a discussion with family in Germany, England and Scotland, and feel as though I am travelling with my sister on her trip through Europe. Facebook is continually, similar to Lost Geographies by John Allen, "... reminding us of the difference that geography can make to the exercise of power: that power in its various guises takes effect through distinctive relations of proximity and reach." (Allen, 2003). It gives its users the power of geography, whilst sitting in your living room in Sydney, you have the power to experience travel throughout the world.

Reference List:

- Allen, J. (2003) Lost Geographies of Power. Oxford, UK. Blackwell Publishers Ltd, a Blackwell Publishing Company.

- Kairos Advantage LLC. (2013, May 10). The Social Media Revolution 2013 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqy8lSppS-A

- Petray, T. (2013), BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place, Lecture 3 - Maps: Seeing and Representing the World, Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Image Credits

- Stacey (2013, Blogsession, Retrieved from http://blogsession.co.uk/2013/01/facebook-statistics-2013/