While Pokémon Go isn't a traditional social media platform, I would argue that this game has brought people together in many of the same ways social media has. In 2016, Pokémon Go hit the app stores and took the world by storm. It was a huge topic of conversation for many, and it was hard to find someone who hadn't tried it out. Similar to social media, Pokémon Go quickly became a political game for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton due to the 2016 presidential election.
In July 2016, Hillary Clinton spoke at a rally in Virginia, where she iconically said, "I don't know who created Pokémon Go, but I'm trying to figure out how we get them to have 'Pokemon-Go-to the polls'" (Grebey, 2016). Following this, her campaign announced they would host an event near the Madison Park Pokestop in Lakewood, Ohio. A Pokestop is a real-world place where players can visit to compete in-game in battles with other players to win for their team.
The event was designed to help voters register to vote, as this was a big problem facing politicians in 2016. According to Myers (2018), only around 60% of U.S. citizens voted in the 2016 election, while only around 40% voted in the 2010 and 2014 elections. One explanation for this is that some people don't have the opportunity to register to vote due to various things, so they don't end up voting. Clinton's campaign idea to focus voter registration efforts toward a then-very-popular game was a smart move. It was a great way to get people interested in the game to get active politically by allowing them to register to vote.
Despite not being a traditional social media platform, Pokémon Go was influential to young voters in many of the same ways. Hillary Clinton's use of the game's popularity drove attention to the need for voters to register, which ultimately helped boost the election.
Sources:
Grebey, J. (2016). Hillary Clinton wants people to 'Pokemon-Go-to the polls'. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-wants-people-to-pokemon-go-to-the-polls-2016-7
Myers, S. (2018). 'Pokémon Go to the polls'. The Stanford Daily. https://stanforddaily.com/2018/10/16/me-asl-pokemon-go-to-the-polls/
It's interesting how you compare the ability of Pokémon Go to more established social media platforms to foster community and political conversation. The 2016 presidential election's Pokémon Go craze emphasizes the game's potential as a tool for energizing and involving young voters. Hillary Clinton's use of the game's popularity to draw attention to voter registration drives is an example of the effectiveness of creative methods for encouraging civic engagement, especially with younger audiences.
ReplyDelete