It is widely said that a major contributing factor for President Obama's win in the elections last year was the clever use of the internet and its social media tools to capture the younger audience. This definitely demostrates how impactful the internet can be if used correctly.
Even in Singapore, political parties turn to the internet to get themselves heard. It is no secret that we hardly ever see/hear of updates regarding opposition parties in the printed or broadcasted press. They are practically "invisible". And yet, how are they able to retain/garner support? Answer? The internet, of course. On top of having a website (link: http://yoursdp.org/), like President Obama, they have also turned to the use of social media, Twitter, to update their 'followers' on their activities.
I think it is a smart move, blending into the social networking sites to make themselves known to the younger generation. Not only does it portray a "hip" image (that it is hip to care), it also makes access to such information easier for the younger crowd. After all, it is a known secret that the younger generation spend majority of their time on the internet, usually at the expense of watching the tv, listening to the radio, or even reading the newspaper.
Are youths and young adults as apathetic to the political scene (in Singapore) as 5 years ago? Definitely not. Especially with politics-watchers blogging and presenting their commentaries in an entertaining manner, this generation of youngsters have begin to find more relevance and are better able to understand the local political scene. It can be said that I was one of those who were very ignorant to the local political scene. But through bloggers like mr.brown and their funny political satires, I have come to appreciate and even become more aware/interested in what's going on in my home country politically. I think I can safely say that I'm not the only one. Things are definitely changing.
Com 125, Class A =]