Social media is a mixed blessing. You have much more direct access to (some) voters and they have more access to you. That can be really helpful for seeing different perspectives and helping people to resolve problems.
On the other hand, social media allows us to forget that the people we are talking to (or about) are human, and people can behave very badly to each other. Conversations on social media happen in public, so – more often than not – both participants are performing for an audience, rather than listening to each other. The chance of having a meaningful conversation that changes your position, or someone else’s, via social media is very slim. If you are going to be on social media, there’s a lot to be said for listening more than you speak.
You do need to be accessible – to the public, to the media, to your fellow Deputies. But none of that means you are obliged to be on social media. You might find – I did – that social media makes you miserable and absorbs a lot of your time, but doesn’t make you more informed or better at your job. If that’s the case, then maybe don’t do it.
