Selfie "I went to vote" as a new social statement
On October 3rd and 4th, elections to the House of Representatives were taking place. As is customary, the entire pre-election period brought a lot of controversy, attempts to embellish the truth, and mainly the determination to act. The elections aroused more interest in many citizens than ever before. Many campaigns and associations emphasized the importance of voting this year. However, does our vote count if no one knows about it? The phenomenon of posting photos with a ballot paper is not just this year's sensation, but it was definitely most visible these days.
There is no doubt that we live in a digital age. What's not on the networks, as if it didn't even exist. People often add photos from the gym, screenshots of apps with kilometres run, or what coffee they had for breakfast today. They basically let the world know which community they belong to. And it's no different with politics. Casting a vote is important, but showing it to others is just as important. The "I went to vote" post puts us in a group that fulfils its civic duties. It can be inferred from it that we are not indifferent to elections and that we are interested in the future of our country. An ordinary selfie therefore becomes a kind of social statement, showing our maturity, responsibility or at least serving as a fashion accessory.
Social pressure or free choice?
It seems simple. Take a photo, edit it, and slap it on the networks. In reality, it's not that straightforward. Each post involves at least a few important decisions. The first starts the moment a user decides to add a photo or video. Why? Whether deliberately or subconsciously, we all share with some intent. The same applies to so-called "voting selfies".
However, the question arises, why do we all share this? Is adding options as important as casting a vote itself? Showing that you have been voting is slowly becoming a norm, if not a duty. Pressure from social networks and surroundings plays an important role here. Thanks to the constant repetition of how important it is to show up to vote, we get the feeling that proving our participation is a certain necessity. It is not necessary, but it also does not harm. Because everyone who shares their "election post" potentially has the opportunity to inspire a lot of others, and it pays off. We apologize for the loss of certain authenticity in this case.
Generational Plane
It may seem that we are talking mostly about generation Z, the opposite is true. The sensation concerns almost all generations, just each a little differently. Young first-time voters show their own maturity and responsibility they take on themselves by this act. Parents often show with their children or stroller that they are not voting for themselves, but also for their children and that they may have a bit more of that responsibility. For the older generation, this is proof that they also keep up with the times.
We can observe this intergenerational level also among media personalities who, from the younger influencers, included the story with the caption "and straight to the elections!" For example, the well-known youtuber Adel Hynková. Various variations joined that voting is hot or sexy, for example, Šárka Šárka Šárka or journalist Adéla Snopová. For parents, it was for example, after twelve years, host Čestmír Strakatý and with a composition from Marta Kubišová, Tamara Klusová also shared the voting urn. For the older generation, actor Ivan Trojan also shared a video on his Instagram with the message to go to the polls.
Are we missing stickers?
In the USA, it's quite common to add an "I voted" sticker, which clearly shows that you have already voted. The iconic Instagram moment works for them in the real world too, where everything just begins with stickers. In the United States, it is totally common to wear merch of a particular political party. And if not merch, then at least strongly emphasize the color – be it Republican red or Democratic blue. We have replaced the sticker with our own "election selfies" and thus established our own virtual stamp. Whether we will wear more party campaign merchandise in the future is hard to say, but everything is possible.
Voting is IN
Sharing a moment from voting is not superficial, but it is an opportunity to engage in a modern social ritual that we have created ourselves. At the same time, it shows that democracy has also entered our digital self. Adding a simple picture with the ballot can gain a very easy important extension thanks to simple sending. There can be a lot of opinions on this, but one thing is clear. Going to vote is really hot.
Sources: author's text, Instagram
