Those in the Facebook generation are well accustomed to receiving invitations to the site’s virtual “groups.” These groups unite users with common interests or causes ranging from the highly random–such as the “Abolish Green Apple” anti-green apple flavored Jolly Rancher group–to groups meant to bring people together based on common beliefs, geographic pride, or the love of a musician or television show.
Facebook groups provide a virtual soap box for any user who wants to create one, join one, comment on one or even create a counter-group to oppose a pre-existing one.
As the 2008 Presidential Race begins, many more politically themed groups are cropping up on Facebook. One of particular interest due to the large number of members is the Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack) group. With a goal of amassing one million members by February 5th, the group’s creator also encourages people to watch, rate, and spread Barack Obama’s video on YouTube.
There were over 162,000 members at the time of this post, creating a lively discussion board where users argue, debate and attempt to educate one another on political issues related to the 2008 Presidential Race. Some high school aged members pointed out in their discussion posts that though they will be too young to vote in the 2008 elections, they want to make their voices heard by joining online groups, debating, and spreading the word about Obama. Internet-savvy youth promoting viral video and politics through social networking websites: this is certainly an intriguing combination to watch!
