Last week, I posted about the effect that age and rural locations have on whether or not people use the internet for political information. Well, a New York Times article from earlier this month gave me another factor to think about: gender.
In the article, Katharine Seelye claims that men participate more in online politics than women because men can show their opinions online and focus on problem-solving without being concerned with details, as women typically are.
Seelye also points out that Hillary Clinton, while devoting a lot of time to courting the female vote, gears her website more towards men, with her up-to-the-minute updates and her calls for action. But I found that she also takes a conversational tone in many of her videos and frequently talks about "softer" issues like health care, which Seelye says women are more interested in. Although men might dominate the political sphere on the internet, I do think that politicians like Clinton are making efforts to draw in female voters online.
You can help me find out more about internet demographics and politics by filling out the poll I just added to the sidebar of this blog. Thanks!
Showing posts with label internet demographics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet demographics. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
They're Just Not That Into the Internet
Despite the craze of the internet during this Presidential race, some people just aren't into it. In a New York Times article last week, Julie Bosman looks at some Iowa caucus-goers who use traditional means of getting political information and opinions. Retired art historian Jean M. James of Iowa says she "can't be bothered" with things like blogs or YouTube, and a lawyer in Iowa says online commentary on politics just "never seemed important" to him.
Bosman attributes this to the fact that Iowa's population is generally older and more rural than average. Though they're not involved with the internet, they're still very involved in politics. Older people avidly watch television or read newspapers, and farmers listen to talk radio on their tractors.
With all the frenzy surrounding this new kind of political communication online, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine the perspective of voters who still rely on traditional media. We have to remember that while the internet is a good way for politicians to spread their message to a broad audience and gain support from young people, traditional media is still what dominates politics and determines votes in the end.
Bosman attributes this to the fact that Iowa's population is generally older and more rural than average. Though they're not involved with the internet, they're still very involved in politics. Older people avidly watch television or read newspapers, and farmers listen to talk radio on their tractors.
With all the frenzy surrounding this new kind of political communication online, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine the perspective of voters who still rely on traditional media. We have to remember that while the internet is a good way for politicians to spread their message to a broad audience and gain support from young people, traditional media is still what dominates politics and determines votes in the end.
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