Nearly four years after Barack Obama won the American presidency, a feat some attribute to Obama’s ability to harness the power of social media and excite young people, we’re still unsure how much of an impact social media will have on future elections. According to an Emarketer article “Social Media Begins to Drive the Political Conversation” over a quarter of people acknowledge that social media influences their political opinions.

One of the biggest influences where I think social media already has and will continue to effect future elections, is regarding the debates. Through Twitter and Facebook, a conversation can take place while individuals watch these debates. During the debates, many numbers are thrown around, some of which have been inaccurate. It is impossible for the average person to identify what information should be taken with a grain of salt. Social media can help immediately identify information that should be double-checked.

In an environment with seemingly unlimited campaign budgets, presidential candidates will rejoice in having opportunities to spend money exploring the opportunities presented by social media.