One of the things I found fascinating about this week’s readings is the research acquired in the Johnson et al chapter, “United We Stand?” On page 189, they explain,

“Research indicates that the development of homogeneous social networks reinforces existing political dispositions, often leading to more actively empowered political behavior. On the other hand, a more diverse social network stimulates discussion of controversial topics. Past analyses have found that citizens with more heterogeneous discussion networks are more likely to participate in community forums and assorted political activities. It is apparent that interpersonal discussion with those of similar and different viewpoints is related to political activity at many levels.”

It’s hard to say, because of my own perception, that political discussions have increased within the community due to one of the following factors: 1) furthering my education connects me to more “politically minded” individuals, 2) getting older has put me in more “civically engaged” circles, 3) the rising generation maintains a more “politically-inclined” culture. The research above refers to new media as the means. I’m not sure if it’s just one of these factors or a combination of them, but it does appear that citizens are becoming more politically active, particularly the youth.

Having said that, for SNSs and other new media to catalyze civic engagement is a almost too good to be true (I’m not saying it isn’t true, but it’s a pretty remarkable finding). Based on past our discussions of gap-filling and the new media’s role in joining together previously disparate groups of people with common interests, I would say that the internet has the power of creating political force within groups (forums are huge in this regard). But I’m still leery of SNSs’ role in facilitating “serious” civic action.

When I enter Facebook, all I see are memes about “binders full of women,” “ponies and bayonets,” and “Big Bird.” I see a lot of sour rants and soap boxes and annoying political jabs from people who I thought were my friends but suddenly become something else altogether on Facebook. Overall, SNSs make me want to defriend my friends. Because of our conversation about Facebook mimicking reality, does this make me “hate” my friends in real life? That’s not the question I want to pose to our class, but I would like to have a discussion about how SNSs specifically foster civic engagement, and not do the opposite (which I’m not sure what the opposite of civic engagement is—anarchy?).

One last question: what does an SNS stimulate more, civic engagement or plain old trash talk? Even though trashing politics is easier than civic engagement, it seems like SNSs provide not just a medium for this to happen but a completely new means of understanding politics. Memes are the new political cartoons, and that is how, I believe, most of the public understand politics today.