Emily Articulated: U.S. history, 2050 edition

By Emily Erickson
Reader Columnist

Flipping open to a glossy image of Barack Obama, the iconic “Hope” poster filled the page, with the former president’s calm, resolute expression etched in hues of blue, red and white. Next to it, a contrasting image of former-President Donald Trump dominated the space: standing on a stage, fist raised defiantly, blood trickling down the side of his face as he roared “Fight!” The caption stated, “The juxtaposition of these two figures captures the volatile and transformative decades of U.S. politics in the 2010s and 2020s.”

It was a U.S. history textbook, print date 2050. The title of the chapter read, “U.S. Politics of the ’10s and ’20s: Media Consumption and Its Contributions to Political Polarization.” Beside the images, the text began:

Obama and the Digital Campaign Revolution

Emily Erickson. Courtesy photo.

In early 2007, Barack Obama was a little-known senator from Illinois, running an uphill battle against a political heavyweight, Hillary Clinton, for the Democratic nomination. Against the odds, and to the surprise of political pundits, Obama’s campaign would shift the landscape of American politics forever. On Nov. 4, 2008, he became the first Black president of the United States, defeating Republican candidate John McCain in a historic election.

A key factor in Obama’s success was his groundbreaking use of emerging social media platforms and digital strategies. His campaign not only raised unprecedented amounts of funding through online donations, but also empowered millions of volunteers through digital outreach. The Obama campaign’s use of social media wasn’t just innovative; it was the dawn of a new era in political mobilization.

By the time Obama was elected, smartphones were becoming ubiquitous. The first iPhone was released in 2007; and, by 2008, Facebook had launched its mobile app. Instagram followed in 2010, cementing the era of mobile social networking. From this point on, no political campaign would be complete without a robust online presence. Author’s note: Facebook was the first project of Meta, now considered a digital artifact, hosted in the Library of Congress’ Virtual Archive.

Social Media’s Influence on News Consumption

By the mid-2010s, over half of American adults were regularly receiving their news from social media sites, transforming not only how news was consumed but how it was shaped. A study published in the Journal of New Media and Society noted a startling trend that would remain a constant for decades: traditional journalistic values were losing ground to metrics such as “likes,” “shares” and “comments.”

The study found that as news became more widely shared on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, the accuracy of the stories often diminished. As the quest for virality overtook the pursuit of truth, content creators increasingly catered to sensationalism and partisanship, deepening political divides and entrenching echo chambers, in which individuals were exposed only to news that aligned with their pre-existing beliefs. The power of algorithms fed into this phenomenon, prioritizing content that elicited emotional reactions. Author’s note: Algorithms were the foundational building blocks of Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), creating near-sentient systems like me.

The Interpersonal Fallout of Political Division

As the media landscape fragmented, so did American society. The rise of hyper-polarized media led to widening rifts within families, friendships and communities. Political affiliation became a key factor in selecting a spouse, maintaining family relationships and forming personal identity.

During the 2020s, the narrative within the media reached new extremes. Political opponents became caricatures, representing the worst stereotypes of their party. On one side, Republicans were labeled as anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQIA+ and climate change-denying zealots. On the other, Democrats were branded as baby-killing, anti-family radicals. Media outlets on both sides perpetuated these narratives, feeding the public’s increasing disdain for those on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

The ability to find common ground eroded as individuals became more entrenched in their beliefs, fueled by media that thrived on sensationalism and conflict. Author’s note: “Climate Change” was the original moniker of “The Climate Crisis” we know today — the lack of urgency in its title contributing to its ineffectiveness.

The 2024 Election: A Turning Point

The 2024 presidential election marked a pivotal moment in U.S. political history, its long-term effects rippling through every election that followed. Author’s note: Turn the page to find out what happened next.

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www.bigbluehat.studio.