By: Ashlynn Labinaz
The results of the recent McMaster Students Union presidential election were released on Jan. 24, with Josh Marando becoming president-elect. Jeffrey Campana came second in the polls, with Madison Wesley and Justin Lee placing third and fourth respectively.
Given our current state of affairs, these results beg the question: did social media impact the outcome of the MSU election?
The simple answer? Yes. When investigating the social media accounts of the candidates, all four individuals created Facebook and Instagram campaign accounts, posting platform content to build a larger following and campaign support.
When comparing the Instagram accounts of all four candidates, the winning Marando had 618 followers, Campana had 512 followers and Lee had 15 followers. Wesley’s deactivated account could not be used in this comparison.
Overall, there appears to be a clear association between the candidates’ social media presence and their election success.
I believe this correlation is attributed to the candidates’ engagement with their followers on social media. Marando, for example, created a new Instagram account dedicated to running his campaign. He posted ten different times over the course of the election, highlighting different events he attended and campaign promises he intended to fulfill.
Conversely, some of Marando’s opponents did not rely as heavily on their social media presence, posting only a handful of times on Instagram.
The MSU Elections Department also acknowledged the importance and presence of social media in the presidential election. On the elections page, there were two appendices: one with candidacy rules and another six-page Appendix A, containing social media regulations that candidates were required to follow.
This appendix was tediously written and included an explanation of how to post on every major social media platform to ensure that no candidate had an unfair advantage.
Clearly, the MSU Elections Department understood the importance of regulating social media during elections in order to avoid potential problems related to digital campaigns.
One increasing problem on the world stage, for example, is the propagation of “fake news” — that is, disseminating information that is intentionally wrong with the goal of swaying thought and opinion. Clearly established social media regulations for candidates is therefore an important step towards addressing election misinformation.
Despite any potential negative consequences, social media platforms have important benefits during elections. Specifically, social media allows voters to make more informed decisions.
In a digital age where information can be retrieved in a matter of seconds, many have become apathetic towards researching electoral candidates. Social media then provides a fast and easy way for voters to learn about candidates’ platforms.
For example, Marando featured an Instagram post highlighting the key points of his campaign. This post took less than a minute to read and provided a basic understanding of his platform, allowing students to easily inform themselves.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs0tWePBOU6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
The easy access to this information also facilitates one’s ability to compare different candidates and their platforms.
Social media in elections also provides a platform for direct dialogue between candidates and voters. Throughout each campaign, the MSU presidential candidates were posting, tweeting and sharing. Every social media platform allowed candidates to receive messages from the public, which ultimately encouraged political discourse.
Overall, I strongly believe that social media acts as a useful campaign tool in elections that future MSU presidential candidates should definitely take seriously.
Although some may argue that his popularity won him the election, I attribute Marando’s success to his effective social media strategies. By consistently posting succinct summaries of his campaign goals, Marando was able to spread his message to students in a simple and accessible manner.
In addition, with the increasingly influential nature of social media in elections, students should become more informed and equipped users of these platforms.
Marando used social media to his advantage to help him win a presidential election. Similarly, students should recognize social media’s extensive and far-reaching value as a necessary election tool in this new digital age.
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Simon Marsello
I remember the day fondly. It was in the evening of Dec. 14, and the geniuses at Facebook’s marketing division finally decided to serve me up a semi-relevant sidebar ad. For once, rather than hawking the flavour-of-the-month Farmville imitator or peddling underpriced washer-dryer combos, this usually irksome service was tempting me with something fresh and unparalleled.
It seemed that Facebook was reimbursing me in some small way for thousands of hours spent trolling our generation’s bottomless social piss pit. My day had finally arrived; the ad proclaimed that Tool was coming to Toronto.
If this sounds melodramatic, it should. Let me backtrack for the benefit of the unfortunately uninformed. Formed in Los Angeles in 1990, this musical assemblage is best thrown somewhere under the umbrella of “progressive metal,” edging aside the high-flyers of the grunge era and burying itself somewhere in the part of the brain reserved for loveable cult bands.
My introduction to Tool was only two years ago, when I purchased their 2006 release 10,000 Days on a whim, a blind shot at a new musical pathway. My previous knowledge of Tool was limited to the label of “that stoner band,” and I was blown away. 10,000 Days fused pounding percussion and hopping bass with enchanting vocals and spacey otherworldliness.
Being entirely sold, I acquired what remained of their discography and embarked on full-tilt fandom. Checking their website every month or so for new tour dates and being repeatedly disappointed, the Dec. 14 revelation via Facebook required at least a triple-take. After confirming the ad’s legitimacy and amassing the few weird friends of mine that actually liked Tool, the tickets were in the mail.
Flash-forward to the concert date. We hurtled towards our destination, gunning down the QEW in my friend’s Mazda and blasting Tool tunes in anticipation. Barring overpriced parking and hellish crowds, the pre-show excitement chill set in. The Tool show served as a beacon for every outlier in a 20-mile radius: the stoners, the junkies and the freaks. I was home.
Filing through the established turnstile-and-pat-down custom, we raced to our seats as the powerful crash cymbals of opener “Hooker with a Penis” resonated through the stadium. Setting aside our mediocre view of the stage from section 306, we took our place amidst the thrashing mob and followed suit.
As the band segued neatly into eight-minute epic “Jambi.” Lighters flicked in chorus and the ensuing weed smoke began to wind its way around the dome. Mid-set, Tool ripped through early-period favourite “Sober,” prompting my buddy’s obligatory, “Dude, is this fucking awesome or what?” And indeed, it was.
Jumping from album to album, Tool took us on a musical journey coupled with stunning backdrop visuals reminiscent of their award-winning album art. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan, pied piper of this unlikely personality cult, conducted his sinister orchestra from the back of the stage, gripping the mic with conviction as he bore his demons before the hungry masses. It was totally sweet.
When the cheers subsided, the lights came up and it finally became apparent that the boys of Tool would not be joining Toronto for a second encore, I trudged out of the stadium, feeling somewhat short-changed. My wish list of songs was nowhere near fulfilled.
But looking back, the energy delivered by the band was phenomenal. Each tune was nailed perfectly, and despite the relative lack of intimacy offered by the cavernous Air Canada Centre, the ticket was worth every penny.
Whether you like Tool or not, my feeling at that show is something to which even the casual music fan can relate; spending an evening with one of your favourite bands is always something to be cherished.
