Presidential History Will Be Shaped by Social Networking Technology

In 50 years of life, I have seen an amazing growth in technology. The media have expanded to so many different levels, but the one that seems to have the greatest impact on our evolving society is the Internet. From the perspective of a person who has witnessed many Presidential races, this run for the Presidency has been particularly swayed by the far reaching effects of the Internet. I discovered this evening after work that Barack Obama has secured the Democratic Presidential nomination.

I can remember as a child, my family discussing the inconceivable idea of a black or female President. My father, an African American, would shake his head and say it couldn't possibly happen in his lifetime. I piped in, that it probably wouldn't happen in mine either. The realization that this could be the year has caused me to reflect on how Barack succeeded in surpassing Hillary.

In today's busy and fast paced world, there isn't much time to watch the news or read the local paper. These two candidates used the Internet in every conceivable way to reach the masses. Though there were times when they used this powerful technology to sling mud at each other, overall they likely both understood the importance of reaching the voters through websites, Myspace pages, Facebook profiles and many other means of getting their messages to us.

The Republican candidate seems to be a bit behind the 8-Ball when it comes to this technology. Barack is deeply entrenched in the world of communication through computers, cell phones, Blackberries, and PDA's, which will give him a great advantage in the final race for the White House. It is a logical thought process that a year from now, and beyond, if Barack becomes our next President, his use of the Internet will keep him in touch with a large percentage of the population. I have found that about a year after the election, people believe the leader of this great nation forgets about them and popularity tends to drop. Barack could use this vital tool to not only insure his continued popularity and support, but possibly prepare for a re-election giving him the time he needs to secure a second term.

It is irrefutably evident that as technology changes and grows, so does the way society interacts. To treat it as an afterthought can be the difference between winning or losing. The days of seeing the Internet as a means of entertainment only have come and gone, much like the enormous systems that are the predecessors of today's small, lightweight, and versatile models that are a part of most homes and businesses. Technology has, and will continue, to shape a society that craves knowledge on a level that can only be satisfied by the constant growth of the Internet.