Welcoming explosive new media

Social computing or social media is not a vogue, nor a reality that will just pass, but one that will impact almost everybody anywhere at any time.

If the emergence and proliferation of social media is inevitable and the Bhutanese cannot keep it out, how should it be embraced? This and many questions were answered at a two-day conference on social media and democracy this week organized in Thimphu by Bhutan Centre for Media and democracy (BCMD). The conference, which ended Wednesday, brought out some of the biggest challenges faced by both users and consumers of social media.

Social media outlets like facebook, twitter, blogs, and YouTube, are not only up-to-the-minute necessities but also paramount imperatives in a democratic society, particularly in a new and evolving democracy like Bhutan. This cyber space builds communities, encourages public discussion and debates and shapes public views on issues.

However wide and informal it may be, the space is not free from risks and dangers. The executive director of BCMD, Siok Sian Pek Dorji, said that Bhutan is adapting very quickly to new technologies, which the people tend to think is always good. “But we must know the impacts they have on us. Social media is all pervasive and freely accessible, and with it comes a lot of responsibilities,” she said.

Today, people all ages and social status share information on social networking sites. This leaves them, particularly the youth and children, vulnerable to trickery and deception. This was a crucial challenge highlighted at the conference. For employees, active participation in the vibrant social media brings the dilemma of balancing work and leisure, which often comes at the cost of their jobs. A person’s tweets or facebook status, for instance, could be followed by criminals.

Sonam Tashi, a civil servant, whose class V son is already facebook savvy, said it is worrying to see children as young as 12 on social networking sites. He said, “While the parents assume that they are studying online, children waste a lot of time doing nothing useful. There are chances of them getting exposed to trends unwelcome for their age.

But social media experts say that the new media cannot be brushed aside just because it comes with risks and dangers. Rather, people should be taught to capitalize on its positive aspects and negotiate their way around it.

On the positive side, various issues of national and international importance can be shared and debated online resulting in a change of policies. Recently, a protester in Cairo, Egypt, claimed that the revolution, which overthrew Hosni Mubarak, was made possible through social media – sharing up-dates, instant messaging, organizing rallies and protests.

At home, a facebook group – Amend the Tobacco Control Act – is lobbying for amendment of the act. It has created a stir in the government. Opposition Leader’s blog, tsheringtobgay.com, has shaped public opinions on important national issues like the controversial vehicle tax revision, the constituency development grant and state funding of the political parties.

“Social media is vital for democracy. It acts as a watchdog much more than the mainstream media. The government should encourage constructive criticism so that it can see where things are going wrong,” said a government official, who thinks that it could promote the three pillars of good governance – transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Forums such as blogs, facebook, twitter and YouTube give space for discussion and debate.

In the context of government’s development policy, Bhutan is expected to see an exponential growth in social media. The government aspires to make the country an ICT-enabled knowledge-based society. The government is already contemplating a social media policy so that this powerful media is put to the best use. Meanwhile, the country’s intelligentsia thinks that it is already time for Bhutan to put in place some mechanism to regulate and monitor content on the social media.

However, one of the resource persons at the BCMD conference, Sean Ang, director of Southeast Asia Centre for e-Media, a veteran in social media for democracy, said, “What is important is education, not policy. There is only so much policies can do, except perhaps for the breach of copyright and outright defamation.”

Because rules and policies cannot regulate social media, the next best step, according to Sean Ang, is to have a complaint unit where government will be informed of any breach or problem with the particular social media outlet.

“For a healthy and productive use of social media, every organisation should have its own rules and policies,” said Siok Sian Pek-Dorji.

At the conference, some of the MPs learnt to set up a facebook and twitter account and create a blog.

Jigme Wangchuk