It’s unprecedented. One misstep on the campaign trail, one blunder in a debate, and the world knows about it within seconds – even people who are not political junkies. The speed with which social media has made all things politics readily accessible is outrageous. What’s more, people can keep an eye on what is “trending” on Twitter and have a pretty decent idea about what is happening in the world. These advancements in technology are being put at our disposal at speeds that are keeping the “coming the age” generation, or the millennials, on its toes.
The rise of social media and the technology facilitating its prevalence, however, raise many questions about its affect on our future – How advanced will our technology become? Will it be too much to handle? Will older generations begin to utilize it? Will social media even last? All of these questions will be vital in the development of the future of America – and the rest of the world – but there is one question looming that could change the way we see our world: Will the government begin to seriously make use of social media and other technologies to keep up with the rest of society?
If the answer this question is “no,” there is a serious problem. We are ruled by a government “of the people” and “by the people,” so it is fundamentally important that it reflects the trends of the population. There is no reason that our government should be five steps behind. Perhaps the analog nature of the current system contributes to the millennial generation’s disillusionment with government. When
86 percent of millennials see government as “the government” rather than “our government," there is definitely a sizable disconnect that should not, and does not have to exist. If we are serious about engaging the millennial generation in government and making it clear that everyone has a voice, it is the government’s job to make itself relatable to them – through more advanced use of available technology.
So what would a more advanced government look like? It would start with an online revolution of sorts. Nearly every aspect of our lives in the twenty-first century can be managed or handled in some capacity online – so why should our relationship with the government be any different? The online movement could and should take many different forms within our government. Small civic actions like roadway requests or paying tickets all the way to our most important governmental action of voting could all be made available literally at our fingertips. In a world where so much happens on a 13-inch-screen sitting in front of us, why should our most important civic duties be subjected to unnecessary obstacles?
#LetsMakeAChange
