Pop Culture is Ruining Politics (Not Clickbait)
The advent of social media has had irreversible effects on how citizens interact with political media. From its conception, social media was meant to be beneficial and digitally connective, but the relationship between entertainment and politics has had a strikingly negative impact on critical thinking. Politicians are re-inventing their personas to appeal to a younger demographic of voters who are active in online spheres. The integration of politicians in pop culture resembles viral trends, celebrity endorsements, and Twitter threads that explain ‘10 reasons why you should care’. Politics and entertainment have become frighteningly intertwined, and political issues are often altered to increase participation. Engagement, however, is not conducive to understanding, nor can it be considered a substitute for media literacy. If we do not acknowledge the issues that arise from the fusion of pop culture and politics, then our political infrastructure will suffer dramatically.
Visual Credit: JP Valery
Social media has changed the way young people consume information. There is an emphasis on creating the punchiest, most palatable and, most importantly, concise explanation of current events. Politicians and media outlets alike recognize the importance of engaging readers. Media outlets must choose their headlines carefully, or they risk casual readers scrolling on to the next most interesting thing. This constant bombardment of sensationalized headlines alters our perception of current events. It is easy to fall into a cycle of looking for the next worse thing prompting us to subsequently obtain a surface-level understanding of current events. This has massive effects on our ability to read and analyze political issues critically. The media is acutely aware of what is trending at a given time, and politics were never meant to be sensational, dramatic, or thrilling. Political institutions have realized that to engage citizens, they need to re-imagine how they appeal to an online generation with the world at their keyboards.
If politics are so monotonous, what fuels the maintenance of citizen engagement? Political institutions looked at the power of pop culture in media and harnessed it for political gain. The consequence of this includes radicalized politicians and polarized parties. Donald Trump has become one of the most recognizable names in politics because of his controversies and extreme politics. His radical approach and hot-headed demeanour made him a star in pop culture, but he lacks the skillset to be an effective leader. More political figures have entered the realm of pop culture in this fashion, but it is only radical characters that make headlines in this frenzy of popular media. Radical right and left-wing politicians only increase polarization in political systems and slow down the function of government. An increasingly mismanaged, ineffective, and slow government only creates more opportunity to be sensationalized. We end up in an endless cycle of negative and dramatized events to keep up with pop culture appeal.
The issue with critical analysis is a symptom of the way our online media is structured. Media outlets capitalize on the negativity bias associated with current events. By fueling negative perspectives, they generate more engagement. The blurred line between politics and entertainment has made it difficult for citizens to apply objective and rational judgement on an issue. Whether this is through fearmongering or ‘rage farming,’ headlines rely on the outrage of readers to create traffic. This ultimately leads to a misinformed, unstable population voting for or against something they do not understand. Perhaps more voters are registering, but this does not correlate to a stable, informed society. For example, the voter scandal during the 2020 presidential election divided American citizens. The effects of this event continue to be seen in all aspects on American politics. It is necessary to re-evaluate the intersection of politics and entertainment to understand the consequences of our current methods of engagement. This may involve changing the relationship politicians have with popular media and, unfortunately, making them unremarkable, run-of-the-mill professionals again. Thus, improving how we relay and consume political media will help foster an effective government.
Erin (she/her) is a second-year student in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and a Lower Year Intern at Political Digest.