Social Media Voting Disparities in the "Instant Results" Digital Age

I am a fan of TV shows like “The Voice,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “American Idol.” I used to vote for my favorites. But now, instant voting results are determined before the shows air in my time zone.

Those of us who live in Pacific, Mountain, and Hawaii-Aleutian time zones don't have the opportunity to participate in the crucial instant saves. Therefore, the results are not an accurate reflection of how the entire audience feels, which is also unfair to contestants who have a large fan base in the western half of the United States.

Why can’t voting remain open until early the next morning? There could be a half-hour show the next day to announce the results, or maybe they could hold the suspense until the next week.

When shows start again this fall and I hear, "America has voted and the results are....," I hope that is true.