Politwits and deselection – why not to use social networks for personal politics

I like new words as much as the next man – spuffle is my favourite, it’s the word Hugh Laurie created to describe the foamy cover you put over a microphone.  So here’s a new one for you… Politwit. Go on then, I hear you ask derisively, if you must, what is it? And the answer, drum roll please…

Politwit

Noun

A person who makes a political point on a social network (e.g. twitter)

The verb should be easy enough to derive…

Over recent months I’ve noticed (as I’m sure we all have) the increasing trend towards using social media to make political points. Just about every modern political party is busy sinking their hands into the new social media opportunity – and this is all good and fine, I guess.

Now politicians spend a lot of time being boring. It’s expected of them. Invite a local councillor to dinner and you almost expect, after a glass or two of sherry, a discussion on PR or the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre (a hot issue where I’m from fifteen years ago, and one I saw Alan Partridge lampoon live at the Theatre Royal Norwich on one memorable occasion). Invite a Euro MP to tea and… well it’s likely to be expensive. Normal people on the other hand, tend not to bang on about politics so much.

Actually I talk quite a lot about politics, which is probably why I don’t get invited to many dinner parties. My point here is that most people you know on a social or superficial level don’t make sweeping political statements all that much.

So, yesterday the UK went to the polls. It was dubbed ‘Super Thursday’ by the media, though it had no shiny costume, cloak or pants as far as I could see. In the build up to polls opening social networks were awash with everyday people making political points (I did it myself). And to some extent this is all part of a healthy democracy. To some extent.

The problem is, I didn’t sign up to social networks so people could push things I don’t believe in at me. Most of my social friends and followers are business colleagues, mates, acquaintances and people who I can’t be arsed to send Christmas cards to… not you of course, I like you.

What I don’t want from these people, and what they almost certainly don’t want from me, is pushy political ‘Vote for X’, hilarious political cartoons clearly commissioned by X central office, or clever but misleading points on electoral reform.

In short the content did not match the context, and it failed to do so because we were making political points.

It doesn’t happen with these people in the real world. It shouldn’t happen online.

Stephen Fry (whom I love, and I expect to see at tomorrow’s post season celebration down at carra Rud. On the ball City! Etc.), spent ages trying to convince us that AV was the right choice – and he may have had a point, however that’s not why we all follow him. We follow him because we love him, because he’s warm, clever, amusing and a national treasure – not because of his political views. Which makes him (and me I hasten to add) a Politwit.

I’ll go further. Over the last few days I’ve seen loads of people saying that they are getting bored of Mr Fry (I’m not, I love him). I suspect this has more to do with politics than any sudden dislike of the man. I’ll call this ‘Deselection’ – see what I did there.

Politweet too much and you get deselected. Nice, and at the same time sickly huh?

It’s not just politicians. Recently a rash of charitable campaigns have sprung up insisting we change our status to reflect their views… and if we don’t. If we don’t... nothing actually. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter to tell people I support cancer charities (which I do, very much as people who know me well will tell you). I’m on Twitter because I like to tweet and to hear what others have to say. I’m on facebook for all kinds of reasons – but not for politics.

The lesson is obvious and as old as the hills – the content must match the context.

The buzzwords are new and instantly forgettable – Politweet and get Deselected.

There you go.