Expert to socmed users: Be informed, vigilant for 2019 elections

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--The head of an analytics consulting firm has advised social media users and the general public to be more vigilant and well-informed on the veracity of information shared over social media, especially as the 2019 mid-term elections draw near.

Miko David, co-founder of the analytics firm David and Golyat, said the need for a well-informed citizenry is especially significant as online-based pre-campaign activities are already in high gear, potentially swaying low-information voters into the camp of certain political personalities.

David said that alongside the benefits of promoting advocacies over social media platforms come the challenges of possible misinformation as the medium can be easily distorted.

On the bright side, he said, people have become more cautious over time because of the prevalence of clickbaits and other forms of unverified content.

“Truth be told, it (election campaign in social media) will provide a lot of platform for people to share their views, explain in detail what their (candidates) priorities are, what are they all about. But it also invites discussions, controversies,” David said.

He also acknowledged that social media played a substantial role in shaping public opinion during the 2016 elections.

“We (will) expect an influx of (political) content, and I think we will see so much political ads. Contents either generated by people, or from people who are campaigning. So we need to be able to filter and look at it objectively.

According to the Asia Foundation, social media was a game-changer in the 2016 elections, noting that it sparked political discourses never before seen in the country's election history.

Maribel Buenaobra, the foundation’s deputy country representative to the Philippines, wrote in May 2016 that social media had helped highlight the issues that needed to be addressed by the candidates, propelling powerful online campaigns as a result.

“While social media has changed the campaign strategies, it is not the only factor that will determine the election results. Surveys remain influential, particularly for the undecided voters who may rely on results of pre-election polls and succumb to the bandwagon effect,” she wrote.

According to the Global Web Index, during the fourth quarter of 2017, Facebook remained the top social media platform among Filipinos aged 16-65 years, with 94 percent usage, closely followed by Youtube, with 90 percent usage.

David was in the city early this week as resource speaker on Maximizing Online Reach, organized by Globe Telecoms for journalists and bloggers. He clarified that his company has no client from political parties, as the firm focuses mostly on private commercial industries. (PNA)