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2020 US Presidential Election
The presidential election in 2020 was influenced by social media. This was studied specifically by Meta, University of Texas, and New York University. The study revealed an incredulous amount of information shared over facebook and instagram through short videos and posts. The resharing of posts was a large part of how information got wide-spread. There was also misinformation that went viral and that affected the election. -
Space Race
The recent decision by NASA to get a human to the moon by 2026 was hugely influenced by social media. Astronauts now share experiences they have over X and other platforms. The discussion around space travel is grown over social media. Elon Musk has created quite a bit of discussion over social media, specifically X about space travel. I think the public excitement of it has motivated the decision to get a human to the moon again. -
Dixie State College Renamed
Throughout 2021 and 2022 there was much discussion about changing the name of Dixie State College due to the negative connotation the word Dixie has. Facebook was used to protest this change through a group called "Defending Southwest Utah Heritage Coalition." There was also much use of Facebook to make the change happen. Tactics such as asking for signatures on petitions, informing people about what their position was, and creating disruptions big enough to make a difference were used. -
Overturning of Roe v. Wade
In 2022 the US Supreme Court reversed the ruling of Roe v. Wade. This was affected by social media. I personally have experienced so many posts, videos, stories, etc defending both sides of the argument. The TikTok shorts displaying videos and heartbeats of fetus's are heart wrenching and surely have influenced peoples opinions on Abortion. On the other side, personal stories of abortion helping women have influenced opinions as well. The short videos make the sharing of information easy. -
Israel Ethnically Cleanses Gaza
On X there is much discussion about what Israel is doing to Gaza. With journalists being killed along with thousands of others it has caught a lot of attention on social media sites. Leaders of the countries have made statements on X sharing their opinions and goals. Their conflict has been going on for decades, the most recent conflict started in 2021 and is still going on.