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StateNet: Lawmakers learning the pros and cons of social networking craze

Here's a good synopsis, IMHO, of New Media in government by Rich Ehisen:

Without question, social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace have become a major part of today's political landscape. Spurred in part by the successful use of those mediums by Barack Obama in last fall's historic presidential election, lawmakers and government officials across the nation are now turning en masse to these and other "Web 2.0" social networking sites to communicate with their constituents. But while many political observers sing this trend's praises, not everyone is sold just yet.

Social networking sites have come a long way since arriving on the scene more than a decade ago. Once primarily the domain of college students, sites like MySpace and Facebook — which allow users to create a personal Web page that they can then connect to those of approved "friends" and "fans" — are growing exponentially in popularity among adults. According to the Web site InsideFacebook.com, there are now more than 70 million Facebook users in the U.S. alone, and over 200 million worldwide. While those age 18-25 still represent the largest single demographic (30 percent), users 26 and over now comprise fully twice that number, 60 percent, while 36 percent are over age 35. In all, the number of Facebook users over 45 has grown by 7.7 million since January.

Although MySpace has a similar number of total users, Facebook and Twitter — a "micro-blogging" site that allows users to send out messages of no more than 140 characters at a time — are clearly the social networking sites of choice for lawmakers. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 23 state legislative caucuses have a Facebook page, while only the ILLINOIS Senate Democrats have a MySpace page (Prairie State Dems actually have both). Legislative bodies have also shown a strong affinity for Twitter, with NCSL reporting that at least 20 caucuses are "tweeting" messages to their followers. Other social networking options growing in popularity include video and photo-posting sites like YouTube, Flickr and Picasa, among several others.

Dramatic growth has also been seen among individual lawmakers, with hundreds now possessing their own pages. For Web 2.0 advocate Ric Cantrell, chief deputy of the UTAH Senate, the avalanche of lawmakers getting into social networking comes not a moment too soon. In an interview, Cantrell told SNCJ that lawmakers everywhere have grown increasingly estranged from their constituents, which he says masks the reality that legislators "really are good people trying to solve problems." In that regard, Cantrell believes social networking sites provide something critically important in modern society: an easy way for citizens to directly connect with the people they have sent to the statehouse to represent them.

"There simply is no better tool than Facebook for humanizing lawmakers," Cantrell says. "In a time when legislators are increasingly seen as caricatures of real people, not using these tools really does border on political malpractice."

He concedes, however, that their ultimate value is in how they are used.

"The same thing that makes you interesting at a neighborhood barbecue will make you interesting on Facebook," Cantrell says. "Be friendly and informed. Talk with people. Be part of a community. Whatever you do, just be a human being and not the two-dimensional stereotype of a politician."

He also notes that the political benefits of Facebook, YouTube or Twitter go well beyond the humanizing of lawmakers. These mediums also offer a way for lawmakers to reach people with an unfiltered message in real time, one that allows lawmakers' words to be absorbed in the context they are given rather than as just another TV sound bite or snippet of a quote in a newspaper. Cantrell in fact believes so strongly in the impact social networking can have on citizen participation in the political process, he equates it to nothing less than an opportunity "to re-win the American revolution."

That may or not be true, but the growing importance of social networking for lawmakers has definitely not been lost on the NCSL, which held three seminars on the topic during its annual meeting in Philadelphia in July. These included a session that walked lawmakers through the process of setting up their own Facebook page. All three sessions drew a large cross-section of participants, from those who already had blogs or Facebook pages to a plethora of those considering jumping into the fray for the first time. Most were enthusiastic. Others, such as MARYLAND Sen. Jennie Forehand (D), expressed serious concerns.

"There is not enough hours in the day to respond to all of the e-mails and other correspondence we already receive on a daily basis," says Forehand, who attended two of the three seminars. "As a lawmaker, I want to carefully review all of the correspondence I receive and respond thoughtfully and carefully. So until I find four or five more hours a day, I will have to be very cautious about this."

Forehand also worries about big issues like privacy, and even those that some people might think are inconsequential, like whether she may hurt someone's feelings if she rejects their "friend" request. "I'm just concerned this could get down to the junior high level," she says.

Overload is also a concern for MASSACHUSETTS Rep. Mark Falzone (D), who has a Facebook page. "There are times it can seem overwhelming," Falzone says. "But people like to talk through different media. In the end, Facebook is just another tool for us to communicate with people." The bigger problem, he says, is overcoming the "false sense of immediacy" that some new media users bring into the communication process. He does not, however, share Forehand's concern over hurt feelings.

"The key with Facebook is filtering out the stuff that isn't coming from your constituents," Falzone says, noting that his staff processes letters, e-mail and Facebook messages all the same, with constituents from within his district getting top priority for response. He notes that mass messages, regardless of the format they come in, rarely get through to him.

"The truth is, most lawmakers ignore mass e-mails and similar messages," he says.

Barbara O'Connor, a CALIFORNIA State University Sacramento professor and the director of the university's Institute for the Study of Politics and Media, says lawmakers and other government officials should heed that advice when it comes to their own messages and postings.

"Early adapters used Facebook and Twitter as it was intended, which was as a social networking tool," she says. "Many of the later adapters have handed these tools off to their consultants, who then use them as a burst event announcer. It's like telemarketing, and it really stinks."

O'Connor says she has begun to "de-friend" even close associates from across the political spectrum who "bury me with press releases or other political SPAM."

CALIFORNIA Assemblyman Roger Niello, a Republican, understands O'Connor's frustration. Niello, who has both Facebook and Twitter accounts, says he is always mindful of what people do and don't expect in digital interactions with him. He says that people who want more traditional political information can sign up for his e-mail newsletter through his legislative Web site.

"When you friend someone on Facebook, you're looking for a personal connection to that person," he says. "You're not looking for me to use it as a personal marketing tool."

Other pitfalls remain as well. Social networking sites can be addictive time consumers, particularly to new users. This often does not play well in a work setting. A recent report by the MASSACHUSETTS-based Nucleus Research Inc., for instance, showed that over 60 percent of workers accessed their Facebook pages at work and that one in 33 had built their entire profile during working hours. The study further noted that the average company which allows workers to access Facebook loses 1.5 percent of total employee productivity. While that figure is far from astounding, it does illustrate the potential for some observers to view social networking in a negative light.

New users must also understand the rapidly evolving nature of technology, says Meagan Doersch, Media and Public Affairs manager for NCSL. "What is new today could be completely obsolete by tomorrow," she says. "Because of that, it may not be for everyone. You really must choose your own comfort level."

But neither these nor other yet to be discovered drawbacks cause much worry for UTAH's Cantrell, who says that the benefits of lawmakers using social networking sites far outweigh the drawbacks.

"You have to believe down to the core of your heart and soul that citizens have a critical role in government," he says. "If you do, these tools are indispensable."

Published in StateNet Capitol Journal, August 10, 2009

Introduction / Qualifications

Andy Warhol's grandson said, "In the future, everyone will have 15 kilobytes of fame."

Here's mine:

Daily Herald: New Media and Citizen Participation

Deseret News: Senate on the Web

IPDI: Now this is transparent

StateNet: Lawmakers and Social Networking

Governing: Spinning the Web

If you're not bored yet, there's a little more here, here, and here.

Please feel free to contact me on Facebook, Linked In, or E-mail.

Ric Cantrell
801-647-8944