Discussion:
In this video, Mancini makes the argument that politics is solving today's problems with yesterday's tools. She then goes on to say that we should be able to solve today's problems with the tools that we use every day, such as the internet as a whole, and social media. She states that citizen engagement is the first step to getting elected officials to truly listen. Politics is something that is widely discussed through social media, but are we saying the right things, and are we saying them to the right people? Through social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and even E-mail, we should have the opportunity to contact our elected officials, and inform them on what decisions we want them to make.
Position:
Technology really should be something that we can use to create a bridge between citizens and their elected representatives. I definitely think that opinions aren't heard. This is one reason why I'm not a fan of the electoral college system that we have in place to elect our officials. That's a story for another day... We have this great opportunity to better connect with the people running our country, through technology, but technology itself isn't going to do it for us. We have to use it, and become involved in the process. I know so many people who have no faith in the governmental system, because they feel like they aren't heard. I think that elected officials should make it a priority to listen to the opinions of everyone who they represent, and social media is a great way to do that. We just have to utilize it.
I also watched this TED Talk, and I love how Pia suggests that we need to start using the tools of today. Technology is going to continue to advance, we might as well use it to our advantage. I think that we will be able to involve more people, and more voices will be heard through social media than ever before. I agree with you, technology is definitely going to be the bridge.
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