As the presidential election nears, it has become almost a daily occurrence in workplaces everywhere: The latest campaign-related spoof or parody arrives via e-mail and touches off a minor frenzy.
"You can always tell when something new has arrived," says Donna Lynn Rhodes, a senior account executive for Diablo Magazine "You can hear the giggling all over the office."
Like millions of Americans during this historic election season, Rhodes has been bombarded by various forms of social media. Whether it be the latest Tina Fey spoof on "Saturday Night Live," a "Daily Show" mockumentary of Barack Obama, a Paris Hilton gag, or links to blogs, campaign-related video, Twitter and text messages, the election has become Related LinkVote: How is social media making you more politcally aware?a high-tech free-for-all that encourages everyone to join in.
"It has gotten to the point where I've had to ask some friends and clients to stop sending me stuff," she says. "It takes too much of my time. I need to be working."
Social media, of course, didn't start with this election cycle. Many will recall the humorous and melodic "This Land is Your Land" video featuring George Bush and John Kerry created by Jib Jab in 2004.
But thanks to the rapid rise of broadband technology, YouTube and embedable Web widgets — along with an increase in tech-savvy citizens — the craze has gained momentum as Obama and John McCain jockey for the White House.
"There has been such a leap in just four years," says Barbara AdvertisementO'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Sacramento State. "Now it's so easy to attach anything to your e-mail and send it out into the world. And then it spreads like wildfire."
Indeed. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" is enjoying some of its best ratings in years, thanks largely to Fey's spoofs of Palin. But many viewers have seen the skits online rather than television, thanks to e-mailed links and blogs that drive them to NBC.com. The initial Fey skit amassed 5 million "hits" in its first three days in September on NBC.com. and was up to 9.3 million as of Thursday, according to NBC.
"Social media is the new water cooler," says Vivi Zigler, president, NBC Universal Digital Entertainment. "In the old days, if you missed it, you missed it, or had to have someone act it out. Now, everyone has access and it lives on and on."
And during an election year that can be a double-edged sword.
"The problem with viral video is that all you're getting is short clips. There's no context, no depth. They just lean toward the fun and punchy and unusual," O'Connor says. "On the other hand, it lends a participatory feel to things. People are more engaged on a certain level."
Especially young people, according to Danville's Mark Curtis, a former political reporter for KTVU-Channel 2.
"This is the first time in history that we'll have people in the 18-to-30 age demographic voting in any appreciable numbers," says Curtis, who writes a blog at www.markcurtismedia.com. "And I attribute a large part of that to the way they have gravitated to, and use, instantaneous communication."
O'Connor, too, has seen this newfound enthusiasm among the students in her classes. But she wants the technology and social media to fuel a deeper interest in political issues.
"This stuff piques their curiosity and you'd like to hope that it ultimately leads them to seek further data," she says. "I love it when I see a student go from watching a certain snippet or clip, to Googling an issue that interests them."
Meanwhile, in workplace situations social media poses potential problems. Not only can it be distracting, but also sometimes divisive.
"I've learned that you have to be careful about what you joke about," says Alex Ackerman, a systems administrator for an East Bay company who offended a couple of office mates when laughing at piece of viral video slamming President Bush. "Co-workers are like relatives. You're going to see them tomorrow. You can't step on toes."
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