After seeing Facebook, Twitter and Google+ blow-up surrounding the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on social media’s affects on the election.

Good? Bad? Ugly?

My social media feeds usually have some sort of political rhetoric floating around, but with the United States Presidential race in full swing, they’re buzzing far more than usual. I’ve got friends on both sides of the aisle, so it’s interesting to see the spin bouncing back and forth.

But it can get bad. It can get ugly.

So much so, I’m often been tempted to avoid social media altogether until AFTER the elections. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk politics, but social media has simply amplified the worst of human behavior. I know that’s nothing new, but some people get really ugly and it does nothing for their cause.

On the flip side, it can be entertaining and educational. Those that keep a cool head can really open your eyes to things you hadn’t thought about before, or place things in a new light. And I appreciate a good joke.

That’s been my experience, what about yours?

Has social media, in a whole, been a positive or negative for politics?

Have we transformed another activity into “Like!” and “RT?”

Are more people engaged enough to increase voter turnout?

Tell me what you think, and be nice about it. :)

[Image via Tom Woodward]