Someone will win the presidential election, which means about half of Americans (and the Facebook users) won’t be happy with the outcome. On Wednesday, some will take to social media and, if their candidate won, gloat. Such “status updates” may offend those whose candidate lost, but that’s been the case throughout this election season.
In a virtual world known more for monologues than dialogues, Facebook posts can antagonize friends with opposing political views. Perhaps more than ever before, you knew your friends’ political persuasions going into an election. Many blocked each other’s posts or even unfriended people who didn’t think like them.
Now comes the “campaign hangover.” With the election over with, can people mend real friendships damaged in a virtual world?
Jenny Armentrout, assistant professor of communication studies at Saint Mary’s College, can speak to this.
“Conflict resolution and empathy are huge parts of communication processes that we sometimes overlook in terms of online formats due to how ambiguous/anonymous we perceive these mediums to be.”
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