Talkback

The Digital News Report 2017 found that Malaysians are the world’s largest users of WhatsApp at 51 per cent.The report also found that Facebook and YouTube are also popular with Malaysians, with 58 per cent and 26 per cent users respectively, and WeChat and Instagram, with 13 per cent. The report also mentioned Malaysians getting 86 per cent of their news feed from social media, 45 per cent from publications, 54 per cent from television and 15 per cent from radio. What do these figures mean to you? I knew that Malaysians are major users of WhatsApp, but I didn’t know that we are the biggest. A friend of mine came down from New York recently and I asked him if they use WhatsApp in the US. He said WhatsApp users are in the minority there. I asked him what they use for messaging instead, SMS? He replied, ‘Facebook Messenger.’ I was stunned. If this is true, it means that Facebook has a way, way bigger hold than I had thought.

NIKHIL AMRIT What concerns me from these figures is that most Malaysians get their news from social media. At 86 per cent, that is a huge figure. The danger here is that there are many within the general population who cannot seem to differentiate between legitimate news sites and rubbish outlets. That’s why you still see a big ‘copy and paste’ culture here. When I get these in my WhatsApp messages, I’ll ask if the news is verified. The usual answer will be a virtual shrug, that they got it from the group next door.

SUZANNA ATAN I think there can be little doubt that we are a truly internet-savvy nation. While this has its plus points, there are also many hidden dangers that come with it. Malaysians need to be smarter when getting their news online. Always be mindful of the source, don’t get sucked into the hysteria and sensational aspects. Always have an inquisitive mind.

JESS WONG Sometimes, I long for the simpler days when we didn’t have all this technology. If I wanted to call someone, I had to use the phone and the person had to be sitting down, at the other end of the line. Now, I’m contactable even when I’m driving, for better or for worse. Anonymity has also largely gone out the window with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. There are pros and cons but sometimes, I wish I had remained stuck in the 1980s.

KHAIDIR SHAH