Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history last week when she was elected to the House of Representatives at just 28 years old. But like many other twenty-somethings, Cortez utilizes her Instagram and Twitter feeds like a pro and has facilitated an online community that she connects to on the daily. Since the election, I have been actively following Cortez’s account and have learned about the Congress orientation progress, how she is going to set up her office, and how she feels about becoming a member of Congress. Her Instagram use sets her apart from other Congress members, as she is able to connect with an ease that so many other politicians lack.
“The thing that most people don’t tell you about running for Congress, is that your clothes stinky all the time because you never have time to do laundry.” It’s day two of Congressional orientation, and Cortez has learned a few things and has decided to share all of them on her Instagram Stories. Her candidacy is represented throughout her Instagram feed, full of pictures from her campaign attached with revealing posts about her goals, the problems in her community and the solutions she has. But it is her Instagram stories that set Cortez apart, as she reacts in real time to the events of the world around her. Cortez uses Stories to educate her audience on the Congressional orientation process, who she has met with that day, and how she is dealing with the transition. The result is that she comes off as genuine, honest and accessible.
Cortez’s use of Instagram demonstrates how social media can change the way people interact with their representatives. Instead of long emails, calls or letters, we can message our representatives right away on Instagram. Cortez can use her Stories to speak about what she got done that day, react to political and social events and speak directly to her constituents. Cortez has already made a name for herself with her progressive agenda, but what makes her more powerful is the way she is able to garner an online community and connect to her constituents directly. What is most exciting, is how this use of Instagram will create more voters, more people running for office or more people interested in politics. By making Political Instagrams compelling, Cortez is bringing the government into the 21st Century one follower at a time.