Too many are the tales concerning the twilight bewitchments; dramatic, romantic, and even comic. Some of which, in which the character vanishes at dawn on a broken wooden broom and appears later staggering, tarnished by the chronological voyage, are quite true in real life, identical to the quotidian life of a twenty first century reporter.
Savored by a rich scoop and pampered by the high view rates, man in the box pops up at every house. It is quite definite that they are obedient, or so it seems, to a missionary stance that not only highlights the series of our everyday lives but direct the subjects towards a better control of the ongoing events. Power is evident by the growing capability to foretell upcoming incidents and, even more, controlling them.
Social media, also known as the modern school of teleportation and informatory sorcery, is now the technological crystal ball empowering citizens to participate in democratic dialogue on constructive reform. One of the greatest human abilities is that to speak. One of the greatest human evolutionary traits is to talk. But what is the difference between the both? Simply, speaking involves the verbal pronunciation of words and sentences. When those words adopt their projected aspect, they become a talk; a word with a purpose.
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other search engines and media giants have taken the toll to provide the opportunity for everyone to be heard. After the voice of wealthy investors and political poles have altered people’s to represent theirs for often personal pursuits, it’s the people’s time to speak. With the snowballing effect of globalization and diversity, difference in opinion is a must due to the heterogeneous constituents of the upgraded society. Every idea has a platform. Opposing viewpoints are welcomed not only because local and international organizations are continuously emphasizing the importance of the contribution in political decision-making, but also because of the fuss a fervent live discussion can cause. This role was demonstrated in the coverage of the genesis of the “Arab spring” in the projection of the opposing viewpoints in contest.
Social media has also intensified the power of number. High numbers indicate collaboration, priority and significance. In March 2010, one of the worst lead poisonings was discovered in Zamfara, Nigeria. By 2012, all the villages have been cleaned up except one – Bagega. The government promised $5million in May 2012, but that was the last we heard about government ending the social plague until a non-profit group, Follow The Money, launched the #SaveBagega campaign to advocate aid for Bagega. Thousands of other citizens who occupied Twitter for several weeks demanded remediation, medical treatment and safer mining practices. They positively engaged stakeholders and organizations interested in children and human rights.With thousands of people from about 78 countries signing the petition, about 600,000 on twitter that mentioned the hashtag – #SaveBagega in the last couple of months, actions count and can always save the world we live in. The President then released $3million for the remediation that was completed by July.
Before social media came around, leaders confined to a political set were distant from those who got them to their positions. Only a few of the voters marching along the corridors of power were able to send their feedback to elected representatives. Now, on the other hand, there exists a wider range of exposure between the head and the base of the pyramid, say, on Twitter. People can tweet ranting about closed roads and bugs related to insurance policies. Surprisingly, they sometimes get direct responses promising solutions. By thus, the gap between the leaders and the citizens is closed.
Construction can never be fully potent without the elimination of corruption, especially governmental extortion. With the stench of institutional bribery taking advantage of the absence of sensory monitors, media rises as a fourth power to repair abnormal mitosis of solicit cells. A tape exposing policemen taking bribes, documentations leaked to illegally finalize agreements and parliament sessions trying to deviously twist constitutional provisions are tackled by social media and publicly prosecuted.
The once juggling myths of predictions and voodoo act in controlling other’s behaviors has been made possible by the birth of social media. As a result of the social, technological and, dare I say it, ideological evolution, we are able now more than ever to censor and mold tomorrow the way it best fits our prospective social standards and achievements. You can choose to go pro or against the mainstream, but choosing not to choose is not an option.
No comments:
Post a Comment