Enough said? Tweets too short for meaningful debate, some say
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WHITEWATER — Susan Johnson has seen more legislators Tweeting these days, but said there are pros and cons to using Twitter for political debate.
More users turning to social networking websites for news on a daily basis means more opportunity for Tweets to be read, said Johnson, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
“I think perhaps it gets more information out to people who otherwise wouldn’t get it,” she said.
“On the other hand, if you’re using Twitter, there’s no way to say anything meaningful in 140 characters. There’s a danger that it simplifies things so much it doesn’t serve to elevate the discussion — it serves to dumb it down.”
Johnson also wonders about the generational gap for Twitter users, although she said people in general are more comfortable using websites and e-mail to correspond and connect with each other.
“Twitter can be used to supplement face-to-face conversation between politicians and constituents, but it can’t completely replace it — certainly not at the local level,” she said. “Residents wouldn’t stand for it.”
Read the full story in the e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, HERE.
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Jan 17, 2011 at 11:35 a.m.
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Of course this is silly. There are people who don't understand how to use it and try to shoehorn a complete traditional slogan or message into 140 characters, but there are others who use it properly to ask questions, create dialog, and point to off-twitter resources like lengthy blog posts.
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I'm also not sure who these people are who are replacing other forms of contact. Is there a Congressman with no phone or e-mail contact ability? Of course not. But the immediacy of Twitter or Facebook allows much more flexibility and visibility for interaction.
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It's a disruptive technology and it's already changing commercial marketing. It will have an important place going forward. But naturally there are limitations and those who don't understand the best ways to use the technology will have a harder time adapting.
Jan 17, 2011 at 8:39 a.m.
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I disagree with Associate Professor Johnson's quick dismissal of Twitter as a viable political tool and over-simplification that an effective use of Twitter ends at 140 characters.
As we saw in the 2008 election, Twitter proved to be a powerful identifier with the President's campaign. It offered a fast, effective way to spread the message, but more importantly it proved to be a method to engage voters on a whole new level.
Granted, a lot has happened in the last 2+ years for social media as well as politics, but one thing hasn't changed since the beginning of politics — the governed want to be heard by the governing. Those politicians effectively using social media (there are not many) use it more as a listening platform than one of open debate.
For politics, like business, social media is a vehicle and not a destination. Elected officials should want to carry that conversation into a more productive environment such as a forum discussion board or preferably a real life listening session.
And in that, Associate Professor Johnson is correct, social media does not replace face to face interaction. If the elected official is smart, it will enhance it.
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