“We the People in the Social Media Age” is a plenary level presentation given at the 4th Media Development Conference in Myanmar, held in Yangon on 10 – 11 December 2015. The conference, themed as “New Dynamics in Myanmar Media”, took place at a historic moment in Myanmar’s history: Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) has won a landslide victory in Myanmar after general elections on 8 November. It was the country's first national vote since a nominally civilian government was introduced in 2011, ending nearly 50 years of military rule. Addressing nearly 200 participants drawn from Myanmar’s mainstream media, new media and ICT spheres – including policymakers, managers and practitioners – I briefly explored the impact of social media in the present social landscape: Asian Regional perspectives. The organizers had asked me to touch on these points: • The role of social media at elections • Bloggers and other social media activists and their space and role in the whole social media theatre • Usage and future challenges/perspectives of the social media sector • The relationship between the conventional and social media in the media landscape in Asia • Importance of media literacy in a society and ways and means of educating public on media literacy I could only raise a few ‘big picture’ level points in the short time available. As always, I asked more questions than I could answer – but it is very important that we seek such answers. My concluding remark on the panel was: whether we like it or not, social media is here. Let us use them to serve the public interest. In other words, as Sir Arthur Clarke used to say, Exploit the Inevitable!

1. nalakagunawardene.com
We the People
in the Social Media Age
Reflections
By Nalaka Gunawardene
Columnist & New Media/Watcher
At the
4th Media Development Conference
Yangon, Myanmar: 10 Dec 2015
nalakagunawardene.com

2. I’ve been asked to give a
Asian regional perspective on…
 Impact of social media in today’s social
landscapes
 Role of social media at elections
 Bloggers and other social media activists
 Nexus between conventional and social
media in Asia’s media landscape
 Importance of media literacy & cyber
literacy
nalakagunawardene.com

3. We’re in a #FB dominated land…
But Social media isn’t just #FB!
nalakagunawardene.com

4. Whatever Social Media platform…
Key qualities in interactions
 No permissions needed: open & candid
expression of ideas; no authorisations!
 Short & spontaneous: few words; many
abbreviations, emoti-cons & images
 Relaxed & easy going: nothing formal,
stiff or deferential (no Holy Cows!)
 Fleeting: much of it transient (but SM
content can be aggregated, analysed &
data-mined by researchers)
nalakagunawardene.com

5. Millions of Conversations:
A Global Cacophony!
Useful starting point…but not enough
for lasting social or political change!
nalakagunawardene.com

6. What does social media mean for
empowering citizens?
 SM can broaden (deepen?) conversations
on topics of public interest
 Citizens can engage govt officials via SM
 Useful as part of advocacy toolkit of social
& political activists
 But SM is NOT a substitute for organised
civic action for democracy, governance or
economic reforms
 Also need physical engagement!
nalakagunawardene.com

7. ‘Clicktivism’ has its limits!
Sometimes we need to go beyond…
nalakagunawardene.com

8. SM mobilisation + Real World action
 Social Change (repeat many times?)
Climate marches on 29 Nov 2015 involved 675,000+ in over
2,000 cities worldwide. Inspired by Avaaz.org @Avaaz

9. Some SM campaigns succeed
better than others: WHY?
http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2014/11/political-
hashtagging-is-online-activism-effective/

10. Social Media & Elections:
Key Asian trends since 2010
 Helping reverse youth apathy on politics
 Youth discuss election issues, manifestos &
governance on SM  do these affect their
voting choices? (Study more!)
 Politicians & political parties scramble to
promote themselves on SM: BUT it’s not just a
numbers game: ENGAGEMENT matters!
 Rise of new class of cyber political activists: not
(necessarily) affiliated with any parties; instead
advocating cleaner politics & good gov.
nalakagunawardene.com

11. Social Media and Elections:
What is happening in Asia?
 Social Media and Elections in
Asia-Pacific – The Growing
Power of the Youth Vote
 Pub: Konrad-Adenauer-
Stiftung’s Media Programme
Asia in Singapore; Nov 2013
 Editors: Alastair Carthew &
Simon Winkelmann
 Full book is free online:
http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_
35939-1522-2-30.pdf?
131105090233
nalakagunawardene.com

12. SM Campaign urged Sri Lanka
citizens to vote in 2 key elections
Voter turnout as %
of total registered voters:
Presidential Election:
8 Jan 2015: 82.52%
Parliamentary Election:
17 Aug 2015: 77.66%
nalakagunawardene.com

13. Bloggers & Tweeps: Pushing limits
of mainstream media (MSM)
 Across Asia, bloggers complementing or
compensating for mainstream media:
 Sustaining interest/pressure for key reforms
 Taking up taboo topics (e.g. LGBT rights)
 Amplifying grassroots/marginalised voices
 SM users not yet threatening MSM markets
but in coming years, they well might!
 I prefer to see MSM+SM collaborating in
public interest: enough issues to cover
nalakagunawardene.com

14. Media’s job: “Comfort the afflicted
& afflict the comfortable”
Can SM-using
activists and
citizen
journalists
bring new
meaning to
social
purpose of
media?
nalakagunawardene.com

15. Asian Govts using social media
to engage citizens for…
 Delivering basic info & citizen services
 Making govt more transparent
 Consulting citizens on policy reforms
 Crowd-sourcing ideas for specific
projects (e.g. Smart Cities)
 Alerting & warnings during crises
(disasters, epidemics, conflicts)
 Sharing national joys & grief
nalakagunawardene.com

16. India: SM loving PM!
Transforming government
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17. What’s the social impact and
influence? Need more studies!
nalakagunawardene.com

18. World Leaders with most Twitter followers,
April 2015: What does this mean 4 politics?
http://twiplomacy.com/blog/the-twiplomacy-top-
twenty-twitterati/

19. As Social Media use increases,
challenges also arise…
 Hate speech on SM  spread of racial,
religious & other abuse (easy to share)
 Anonymity/psendonymity means users can &
do express without much/any restraint
 Identity theft: growing problem: FB account
hijacking common, due to user carelessness
 Privacy loss: Is this inevitable in SM world?
 SM addiction  social & psychiatric problems
for some (not all) individuals
nalakagunawardene.com

20. Ethical challenges of social media:
Needs measured response…
 Don’t blame the platforms: they mirror or
amplify good & bad in our societies!
 Study more: We need social science
research to understand SM-driven culture
 Generalisations are not possible, nor good
 SM misuses always get disproportionately
high publicity  distorts total picture
 Don’t throw SM ‘baby’ out with
bathwater!
nalakagunawardene.com

21. Wanted, Urgent!
More Cyber Literacy
knowing how to use Web
with caution & responsibility
More Cyber Civility: using
Web and social media with
respect and courtesy for all
More Cyber Innovation
finding creative web/app
based solutions for social &
economic problems
nalakagunawardene.com

22. Let’s RECLAIM Social Media
for the Public Interest!
 We the users can - and do -
shape SM conversations
 Don’t just complain: get in
there & join the SM
cacophony: INFLUENCE it!
 Use open platforms (like
Twitter) + public
pages/groups on FB
 Don’t leave it all to trolls!
nalakagunawardene.com

23. Thank You!
Keep talking with me @NalakaG
nalakagunawardene.com