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Writer's pictureAngelo Lorenzo

The Solidarity of Social Media (1st Place Essay Writing Competition College Level, SIBYA 2016)




Author’s Note: This piece was my entry to the essay writing competition [college level] of SIBYA 2016: The 5th Northern Mindanao Student Communicators’ Congress by the Crusader Publication of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan held on February 27, 2016 at SM City Cagayan de Oro.


The nation that once abolished a tyrannical dictatorship and restored democracy in the latter years of the 20th century is a nation where media thrives and triumphs in the purpose of raising awareness among the people and igniting revolution against forces that deprive them of their rights.


Media in the Philippines has played a significant role in shaping and chronicling the nation’s history. Back in the days when colonialism was still prevalent under the Spanish government, media already existed as evidenced by the circulation of La Solidaridad. As a print medium and among the earliest forms of media, La Solidaridad became the weapon of the nation’s heroes (Jose Rizal being one of them) to steadfastly express their views against the abuse and the oppression towards Filipinos by the Spanish government. In the aftermath of the battles waged by the Katipuneros and the executions of the Propagandistas, the Philippine flag was raised and was followed by the declaration of independence. Although the nation’s independence was not fully achieved until the Second World War, La Solidaridad exemplified the idea that a pen is mightier than a sword.


As the 21st century welcomes the trend of the digital age, all forms of media have conglomerated in a venue that unites people from all walks of life. With the rise of the internet comes the emergence of the social media, a virtual world where technologically-abled consumers of information can gain access to news and share their views on certain matters with just a click or a tap on their device. The number of news websites on the internet increases greatly as the amount of news links posted and shared on Facebook.


Documentary films encompassing investigations behind controversial issues regarding human trafficking and discrimination are uploaded and viewed on Youtube. Photos showing significant events and presenting fragments of the personal lives of global figures or sensational celebrities are publicized on Instagram. Stories that promote art, delicacy, leisure and business are published on blogging platforms.


This trend in the digital age may further satisfy the people’s longing to gain information and develop understanding of current events, but social media also allows active members of the online community to execute their freedom of speech and will to express.


On social media, they may declare their grief over the death of a musician, argue about the legalization of same-sex marriage and debate over the morality behind the use of contraceptives. They may share edited images of a presidential candidate for hilarity on their news feed, popularize a recently released trailer of an upcoming movie and comment about the effects of global warming. Just as they can opine about the statement of an athlete who likened homosexual relationships to a practice that is worse than animalistic behaviour, they can also voice out their anger towards acts of terrorism and racism. Such actions may grant them fulfilment by sharing what they know to others who possess mutual thought on such issues. Such actions may even lead to a revolution, similar to what La Solidaridad did prior to the birth of the nation.


Although this trend welcomes the era where information is rapidly disseminated and received, certain drawbacks need to be considered.


One disadvantageous instance that often involves the social media is the spread of fabricated stories and sensationalized news (which can often be euphemisms for lies). Being a type of media that can easily be utilized by the people in the present generation, social media may be a venue where stories that do not entirely capture the truth or the essence of an occurrence may scatter and deceive the gullible. Gullibility may result when curiosity has been misled.


Citizens of the global community may perceive the Middle East as an entirely war-torn region where the people residing on sand-laden lands recite verses of the Qur’an amidst the explosions of bombs. This could be due to stories focused mainly on battles waged there as well as photos showing the beheading of hostages by Jihadists with scimitars circulating online. But do the media even consider that these vile circumstances do not encapsulate the entirety of Middle East’s reality? Besides the war in the present day, Middle East was once the cradle of human civilization, a birthplace of kings and conquerors, a land where history’s massive empires originated. Its countries hold the world’s richest resources of oil. A linear and one-sided coverage that is concentrated much on the negative may not only cause fear to global citizens but also plant false judgment in their perception, stemming prejudice against the people in the Middle East and their dominant religion.


In the same way, this also resonates to the type of media coverage in the Philippines. The words of a former president ring with a truth that still chimes to this day. Considered may be as “the Philippines’ land of promise”, Mindanao has always sheltered diversity just as it has exported rich produce yielded by its vast agricultural fields. Peopled by Christians, Muslims and the Lumad, Mindanao holds a place where diverse groups can practice their faith and live by their cultures. However, majority of Filipinos perceive the entirety of Mindanao as a battleground among paramilitary armies, religious extremists and leftist activists. This may be true to some places in Mindanao and in some tragedies that involved the massacre of journalists and the slaughter of members of the police force, but media coverage leads consumers of information to generalize the land as a whole. That is why false perceptions arise among Filipinos whenever “the land of promise” reaches the headline.


The best defense to counter this disadvantage though is for social media users to be cautious and to never let their curiosity end. One advantage that the internet has over other media outlets is that it provides a venue for research where consumers of information can seek more fragments of the truth upon such matters. When they read news about a certain issue, it’s best to consider its credibility by checking on to other sources. In this way, gullibility can be avoided and perceptions can be honed according to the various angles a story contains. Media should reflect news in multiple frames because there are always two or more versions of a story. Social media, however, allows users to participate in the process of modern information dissemination. Their views can only develop once they see the larger scale of a picture.


In the Philippines, the media already played the significant role in shaping the nation. A recent example was manifested in the presidential debate that took place in Cagayan de Oro City wherein social media users actively expressed their thoughts on the presidential candidates’ statements and stand over issues affecting the entire nation.


Even before the digital age, the media had encouraged Filipinos to revolt against colonizers and abolish dictatorship. Whether of print, radio, television or the internet, the media had toppled corruption, magnified the overlooked, unravelled some mysteries and exposed what’s hidden. How much more can the media be of greater significance in the present era where the audience can actively take part in an endeavour for national progress?


The media may transcend and evolve, but as long as the nation exists, the media will always thrive.

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