Slaves to the algorithm? MPs in a digital age
Someone asked me recently now many MPs were actually 'on on' Twitter. At the route of this is of course an age-old question in our industry:
Where is the attention of an MP at any given time?
Of course, if they are at an event with you, or sat across the table from you at Portcullis House as you brief them about your work, you know exactly where their attention is. But when the door closes behind them, when they are alone, where is their attention really?
By 'on on' Twitter, we mean MPs themselves staring at their screens, responding directly to Tweets and scrolling aimlessly through their timeline. We heard during our research into abuse at the 2019 General Election that there is a trend of MPs taking back control (no, not THAT control, Boris) of their Twitter accounts to shield their staff from abuse.
Whilst this is somewhat depressing, on the flip side this presents a great untapped opportunity for those of us in public affairs. Now, you have a direct line through to the MP themselves. Your campaigns, literature, broader work is right there, just an algorithm away.
Of course, with any great opportunity comes great dangers. We heard recently of an alleged incident where Elon Musk instructed his team to boost the visibility of his posts, so dismayed was he by the fact that the leader of the free world had out-impressioned him on a Tweet about the Superbowl.
What if such powers were used for more nefarious purposes, used to amplify false narratives and misinformation? The impact on our democracy would be substantial. We forget that MPs are just like us - they too are influenced by the information they read online. The average adult spends more than 4 hours on their phone each day. The last time I checked, MPs are adults (save for some children...). So what MPs in particular are seeing during these 4+ hours is vitally important.
And the same goes for the people. Wouldn't it be great if more people involved in AI, for example, had been gently guided by the algorithm to the newly-created AI Minister Viscount Camrose's Twitter account (give him a follow!)?
The debate rages on regarding what regulation might look like. And whilst we can’t tell you how many MPs are 'on on' Twitter, we can tell you for certain that they too lie in bed until 2am, their faces illuminated by the glare of their smartphone, the algorithm pulling them away from a soft pillow and a good night's sleep. And who knows, it might not be cat pics - it could be your Tweets themselves that keeps them awake at night.