Social Media Shifts the Overton Window: The Unconventional Becoming Mainstream and How Donald Trump Got Elected
An article in the New York Times entitled “Social Media’s Globe-Shaking Power” details the huge impacts that social media can have on shaking up the status quo that we have come to know. The author describes how the success of Donald Trump’s campaign is perhaps one of the most notable examples of how social media has “fundamentally rewire[d] human society” by destabilizing and replacing traditional political and social norms. Social networks have allowed people to communicate more freely, “helping to create surprisingly influential social organizations among once-marginalized groups.” These groups in the past likely would have been ignored because of the perceived dominance of the existing status quo, but social media has allowed for formerly overlooked concerns to gain traction.
Mainstream media has been in a state of shock over the results of the election, as Trump was simply written off by many. But, by disseminating a message that resonated with people online who felt unsatisfied by existing representation, Trump was able to succeed in spite of going against firmly established conventions. The results of the election demonstrate the magnitude of pluralistic ignorance in our society. Social media has minimized the collective action problem that was previously in place by promoting the spread of unconventional knowledge among individuals. By shifting the Overton Window, a term Joseph Overton used to describe the range of subjects that the mainstream media deems publicly acceptable to discuss, social media has given a voice to and fostered a community among groups that failed to be heard in the past. Social media outlets have empowered people to express themselves, find others who share their views, and band together to break into the mainstream. The collective action problems that have existed in the past may cease to exist as social media continues to make it easier and easier for individuals to reach their personal threshold. By promoting the spread of unconventional knowledge, individuals will be more encouraged to promote unlikely candidates and policy positions than in the past.
Social Media’s Globe-Shaking Power