By Michael Ahearne ’14
THE ROUNDUP
As political campaigns become increasingly intense, more and more commercials both attacking and defending candidates are appearing not only TV, but on forms of social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Many students enjoy being able to connect and laugh with each other through different forms of social media, especially Facebook and YouTube.
Students, though, sometimes feel annoyed when something like a video either begins or is interrupted mid-video with a political advertisement.
“It really just irritates me because I don’t care about watching a political ad while I’m trying to watch a music video or something like that. It’s just wasting time,” said Max Ashton ’14.
Other students find the ads distracting from the task at hand.
“I would say I’m most annoyed because if I want to look up political or research political things, I would actually search it. I don’t want to see it while I’m looking up something,” said Andres Bencomo ’14.
Some students said they are able to understand why politicians would make such videos even if they don’t like them.
“On YouTube, I haven’t seen that many political advertisements as of yet. On TV, it’s just horrendous. There are lies from both parties, but still, at the same time, you have to understand that the super PACS and political parties are just trying to do what they think is best for themselves,” said Isaac Nieblas ’13.
Students also differ on how they react to these advertisements.
“Usually I stay and watch just to laugh at it, but at the same time, there are some people who assume they are true,” Nieblas said. “I think it takes a special individual to understand that there are those advertisements that are correct, and then there are those that are wrong.”
Earlier this year, most political ads consisted of candidates for mayors or offices in the state positions.
As this political year has gone on, though, more and more advertisements are focusing on the branches of congress itself, such as the Senate and House of Representatives.
Most recently, advertisements have been promoting or attacking presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
