During that four-hour window, there’s going to be a lot of nonsense spouted on Facebook and Twitter, which since 2008 have emerged as vital, though often incorrigible, parts of the national conversation. Some of what you may read there as the day wears on may be true, and some will be planted in order to discourage or encourage voters from one side or the other at a vulnerable moment, when polls are still open. Nearly all of it will be exaggerated, and some will be downright false.
It’s at moments like this when the urge to hit the “Retweet” or “Like” or “Share” button will be greatest, because of the sense of emotional urgency coupled with the perception that time is short.
During the recent outbreak of destructive weather in the Northeast, we saw a variant of this, and I even fell for it myself. In my Facebook stream, I shared that picture said to be of Hurricane Sandy that turned out to be a Photoshop combo of the Statue of Liberty and a pic of a supercell thunderstorm. Oopsie.
Another example — thankfully, I didn’t fall for this one — was the widely circulated picture of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. Taken in September during a heavy rain, it was later said on Twitter to show elite soldiers standing guard during Sandy. Whoops again.
No one wants to be that person who gets a “Fake!” in their Twitter or Facebook streams. No one wants to be responsible for an errant tweet going viral — especially when it’s wrong.
So consider this a public service announcement. On Election Night, think before you retweet. Share and “Like” with caution. We’ll all know what’s really going on with the election results soon enough.
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