You may have come across the idea that freedom of expression is a double-edged sword. Amid the effects of pandemic and the advancement in communication, that one is actually pertaining to the power of social media.
Milo Sandig, Chief Executive Officer of Digitalinnov Marketing, has an in-depth understanding of the significance of state-of-the-art technology in sharing information vital to the current society’s mindset.
The ongoing election campaign period and the run-up to the big day on May 9 is a good vantage point in analyzing the wonder of social media, whether or not celebrities or personalities interesting in their own right are involved.
He shared, “Social media works in two ways. With how I observed things these past few years, digital technology has bred more people to be victims of misleading information. But we also cannot discredit the fact that there are people who became informed due to the emergence of getting readily available information right at their fingertips.”
Part-businessman, part-innovator, Sandig sees that the proper way of dealing with a world gone digital is knowing its potential either way and addressing it with the right mindset as possible.
*Digital Technology is at an all time high as more and more screen times are recorded for each Filipino,” he noted.
Speaking on the thinking that this pandemic is still far from being really over, Sandig related, “As new variants emerge, we could expect lesser face-to-face interactions and more people resorting to digital alternatives to get their entertainment and messages across.”
Asked how he’d convince presidential candidates to give importance to the digitization of Philippine society’s way of life, he expressed, *Younger generations nowadays rarely open traditional media unlike its predecessors. They source their information from social media and engage their opinions from forums and groups where they belong. If next in line leaders don’t prioritize the main medium where people can be communicated to, then there will be a strong disconnection from getting their message across.
In an interview with columnist Ed Uy of Business Mirror, Sandig pointed out the distinction of Filipinos as netizens. He was quoted as saying, “You’ve seen just how lively the conversations are on Facebook, Twitter, and community pages. Pinoys are very opinionated, we don’t just ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ a post, we also want to be part of the conversation and speak our minds.”
As election day is just around the corner, it is vital to stress the obvious fact that our modern world looks actually ready to face the challenge of holding a national election amid a pandemic. Thanks to a world connected like never before. We can all savor digital technology which has been playing a crucial role in providing possibilities and breakthroughs for this activity to push through and allow the country to move on with a new leader.
Election 2022 owes much to social media, especially that we’re now dealing with a new normal caused by COVID-19.
