The current election campaign has witnessed the strength of on-ground activities, with camps of at least two candidates using the crowd attendance as a barometer of their chances to win come, well, the judgement day.
In truth, the numbers matter because the fight only begins during the rallies. A long stretch of after-effect is being fiercely fought on social media.
As the elections draw nearer, it is vital to stress the fact that our modern world looks actually ready to face the challenge of holding a national election amid the ongoing pandemic. Thanks to interconnectivity. Thanks to digital technology which has been playing a central role in providing possibilities and breakthroughs for this activity to push through and allow the country to move on with a new president.
Milo Sandig, Chief Executive Officer of Digitalinnov Marketing, knows the significance of first-rate technology in this period in our history.
“Digital Technology is at an all-time high as more and more screen times are recorded for each Filipino,” he said when asked about his thoughts on this year’s national elections.
This year’s democratic exercise owes much to social media more than ever.
Sandig explained, “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. Yet, 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.”
In an article published in Business Mirror last February 9, columnist Ed noted the distinction of Filipinos as netizens, based on what Sandig informed him. Zeroing in on digital engagement, he quoted the latter 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.”
The article also noted the “need to participate in the discussion” which “could be used to deliver their message and could give newer candidates a chance against more popular names or those who belong to political families.”
Whether building a politician’s image in an attempt to revise written history or establish another’s identity by way of color, the game changing platform of social media, powered by digital technology, can actually make or break a society.