The one thing the Election proved is that social media is not as dominant as many believed. Has it peaked? What matters now?

There have been many discussions about the positive and negative influences that social media has had in society. There was much invested in social media campaigns during the election but did it really impact? Pre-Election many were saying that it was too close to call but this was a long way from the truth.

If anything the Election showed that social media almost creates its own bubble which is a step removed from reality and that many neither take it as seriously as many argue and that many did not like the aggression displayed via social media. Social media does seem to bring out the worst of behaviours that once made it different, interesting and engaging but now has become weariness, boring and creates mistrust. It can be easily argued that Social media has created the basis for the decline in trust that so many want to see returned.

So the question stands – has the power and influence of social media peaked and now on a downward slide?

Does it matter as there are those that argue the coming AI revolution will sweep much of it away anyway?

Setting aside politics, there are many that clearly were not influenced by either traditional media or social media and made their own decisions through almost traditional ways.  Social media was credited with Obama’s great win in 2008, “The Sun” with Major’s win in 1992, Social media with the rise of Labour’s vote in 2017. So in two years has there been a change and a swing away?

Maybe, maybe not. It may have more to do with the desire to find trust and many relied on their own values and instincts to make the decision. Many of the issues in recent times is that the Westminster figures lived within almost their own bubble which became almost self-serving. The remainers were swept away at this election and yet I can imagine most believe they had a momentum coming into the election. It is the only way one can answer how many such as Bercow, Jo Swinson, John Major and others acted in the lead up. What gave them this belief for it cannot have been the person in the street but fed by social media?

If their belief was not fed, it is hard to understand either the basis of their belief or their behaviours. Social Media to create an almost false reality that did feed misperceptions.

It could be that the Election has seen a swing back to almost traits of the past. Is this bad?  Not if we see a return to behaviours that are less aggressive, and see a need to build trust and reason again.

Life is no different to previous eras, despite all that is said. The desire is for leadership that resonates, trust and behaviours that are more reasoned. This maybe no bad thing.