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This is part of an occasional series in Insight & Books on issues relating to the November elections. Find previous stories at statesman.com/s/opinion/insight.

The first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney set the social networking world of Twitter on fire. The debate was the most tweeted political event in U.S. history, with Twitter users sending a record 10.3 million tweets during the 90-minute televised debate.

Once upon a time, in a far off land, officials and candidates did things the old-fashioned way you know: telephones, letters and fax machines. Then, along came the digital age, the Internet and social media. Its hard to argue with 10 million tweets, but do new technologies really make a difference when it comes to governing and running political campaigns? Is the digital age really a game changer or just a fairy tale?

Obviously, smart phones, email, websites and social media, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, have changed information delivery. Today, governments and officials at all levels federal, state and local communicate with constituents using new technologies. Government websites allow people to access documents, renew licenses and access data. Additionally, government websites provide important information on topics ranging from drivers education to childcare via YouTube videos. The digital divide is not dead, but the times really have changed.

Furthermore, many elected and appointed government officials are using the social media platforms of Facebook and Twitter to communicate with constituents and clients. Over the last year, I led a research study regarding use of social media by members of Congress. We found that 98 percent of Congress members used at least one of the social media platforms of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and 72 percent used all three platforms. Our research showed that Congress Members were posting on Twitter at twice the rate of posting on Facebook. Are we becoming a tweetocracy?

Additionally, our study found that members of Congress most commonly used Facebook and Twitter to stake out their positions using social media, rather than to tout their own media appearances. This tells us that social media usage by Congress members has matured as a method of communicating with their constituents. The next stage will be real dialogue, with U.S. lawmakers and their constituents having actual conversations via social media. One example of this engagement with constituents was a conversation between Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and several Twitter followers on Sept. 28, 2011, in which she had an ongoing dialogue about jobs and the unemployment rate and replied to her followers tweets 28 times.

Political campaigns run at lightening speed in the digital age. Facebook pages are a must, and Twitter is essential to the news cycle. However, some research shows that frequently people are more receptive to receiving political information via Twitter than Facebook. They see Twitter as a quick communication tool; whereas, they see Facebook as a tool for managing their social lives. On the other hand, a recent study led by James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, showed that Facebook friends could influence others to go to the polls and vote. Of the 90.7 million Americans who voted in the 2010 midterm election, Facebooks get-out-the-vote message that showed pictures of a users Facebook friends who had voted led to an additional 340,000 votes nationwide, or 0.37 percent.

Similarly, a study by the Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project from the 2010 election showed that 40% of Republican voters and 38% of Democratic voters used these sites to get involved politically, compared with 29% of non-voters. While it is evident that those who are politically engaged use social media for political purposes, it is unclear whether these social networking sites more than marginally increase voter turnout and participation.

In a recent survey by the Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project, 36 percent of social networking users said that the sites are very important or somewhat important to them in keeping abreast of political news. Furthermore, 26 percent of social networking users said that the sites are very important or somewhat important in helping them recruit people to get involved in the political causes that they are promoting.

Also, YouTube allows campaigns to make and disseminate commercials at a fraction of the cost of television. Furthermore, those videos can go viral and be disseminated again and again. Of course, a cautionary tale is that anything that political candidates say or do can go viral.

Read more:
Campaigning and governing in the digital age

The Department of Health (DOH) recently released a study indicating the HIV/AIDS cases are escalating and it was found that social networking is a contributing factor to this increase in HIV cases.

The study, entitled ''OSN (online social network) Use and Risks for HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) among men Having Sex with Men (MSM),'' was done from Sept 1 t Nov. 4 by a team of epidemiologists from the DOH led by Dr. Jovin Maestro.

One of the objectives of the study was to determine the connection between OSN and MSM which became the most ''predominant type of sexual transmission'' starting 2007. Prior to this, commercial sex workers were the leading source of infections in the country.

By the way, HIV stands for human immune deficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. CDC estimates that about 56,000 people in the United States contracted HIV in 2006.

HIV damages a person's body by destroying specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases. HIV is spread primarily by:

- Not using a condom when having sex with a person who has HIV. All unprotected sex with someone who has HIV contains some risk. However:

- Unprotected anal sex is riskier than unprotected vaginal sex.

- Among men who have sex with other men, unprotected receptive anal sex is riskier than unprotected insertive anal sex.

- Having multiple sex partners or the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can increase the risk of infection during sex. Unprotected oral sex can also be a risk for HIV transmission, but it is a much lower risk than anal or vaginal sex.

- Sharing needles, syringes, rinse water, or other equipment used to prepare illicit drugs for injection.

Originally posted here:
HIV/Aids Linked To Social Media

CROSSVILLE The Cumberland County Board of Education approved changes to its Internet policy last week, adding guidance for teachers using social networking sites.

"We're not prohibiting teachers from having social network pages," Richard Janeway, 2nd District representative and chairman of the policy committee, said. "Many teachers have two Facebook accounts, a personal one and one for teaching. But the policy does set up a couple of standards."

The Internet use policy will add a social networking section that states district staff are prohibited from posting data, documents, photographs or inappropriate information that is likely to create a material and substantial disruption of classroom activity. Also, staff are not to access their personal social networking sites on school computers or during the school day.

The policy also discourages staff from socializing with students online.

"The same relationship, exchange, interaction, information, or behavior that would be unacceptable in a non-technological medium is unacceptable when done through the use of technology," the policy states.

The policy committee approved the change at its meeting Oct. 23. As a committee recommendation, the policy change did not require a motion or second in order to be considered by the board, and was unanimously approved on first reading.

Also approved on first reading was a change to the substitute teachers policy to reflect a change in state law. The policy now allows for employment of substitute teachers through a third party public or private employer, such as a temp agency.

"That's not something we're planning on doing," Janeway said. "It's a very expensive proposition and to use a temp agency would cost considerably more."

However, Janeway noted state law had changed and the policy needed to reflect that.

Policy changes require two successful readings before they become effective.

Link:
Social media policy changed

MURPHYSBORO Jackson County may be cracking down on social media use by employees on the clock.

The county boards legislative committee unanimously approved limiting time spent by employees on social networking sites to 75 minutes a day, which would allow for website visits during lunch and other breaks. The policy would cover all county-owned computers, but there will most likely be exceptions for emergency responders and law enforcement.

Vice-Chairman John Rendleman said the new policy may be voted on when the board meets Nov. 20.

The legislative committee took up the issue after research by the countys information technologist showed excessive time spent on social networking sites by some employees, including one in the treasurers office.

Treasurer Shirley Dillinger Booker said she does not approve of employees on the clock using social networking and it was not a problem in her office.

No, and there was only one person that was using it much and its not happening now, Booker said. Its no problem.

Some officeholders already restrict social networking.

In my office, its blocked, Jackson County Clerk Larry Reinhardt said.

There may be an issue of the county board overstepping its boundaries if it institutes the policy.

Yeah, I think thats a real issue that will probably have to be discussed with the officeholders, Rendleman said. The county does pay for the computers, which means we have a right to (limit social networking use).

Go here to read the rest:
County may limit social networking for employees on the clock

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