Debate Spaces

This artifact features the Facebook debate, a status that is posted on the general feed where proponents and opponents respond until a lengthy feed develops. Generally rhetoric in the status indicates a desire to create a dialogue such as the poster’s closing, “Think about it.” As the debate develops, it both encourages politically compelled people to get involved as well as discourages individuals who feel Facebook is not a political space from liking or commenting. Importantly, Facebook has become a host for the types of conversations that might otherwise take place during a social gathering through verbal back and forth. In this light, Facebook has become a digital space in which verbal exchanges are captured through the act of writing thus creating a record of opinion that would have otherwise never existed. Some have even gone so far as to state a connection between the writer’s grammar and writing ability and his or her ideas regarding a topic. These implications create a formal and more accountable atmosphere where Facebook no longer represents just the casual communication of friends.

This statement of belief post concerns a user stating her political endorsement of a candidate in the 2016 Presidential election. Unlike the political debate post, the statement of belief post is more open to opponents offering a contrasting opinion or supporting the poster’s right to her opinion. While these lend themselves to a bit of debate, they are less antagonistic and inviting of debate. In past years, this type of endorsement might have been recognized through the posting bumper stickers on cars or displaying signs in front of houses. This Facebook post captures the same public sentiment expanding the reach of the endorsement beyond individuals the user might physically encounter during election season.