Boon and bane of social media
TV personality Daphne Iking tells Amalina Kamal how she keeps it real when it comes to digital media
01 HOW DO YOU KEEP UP WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING?
I have different reasons for being on different social networking platforms ― Twitter is mostly for news, Instagram for what is aesthetic (anything visually attractive that captures my attention) and Facebook reconnects me with people whom I have met over the years.
When I get online, I sort the accounts that I like and follow. Surprisingly, these are political accounts only because they keep me updated on current issues. News about Donald Trump is one of the accounts.
02 HOW MUCH DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT OUR LIVES?
Instead of “doing things for the gram”, we should go with the flow. We are living in the age of technology and there is no better way to move forward than by embracing it. For starters, if you do not know the source of news and have not verified it, avoid spreading the information on to others.
Even my family members annoy me when they spread unreliable information via Whatsapp and get pointlessly worked up up by it. As a social media user, you do not need to over-share.
I hid my pregnancy from social media. It was partly because I faced discrimination at work ― I didn’t get jobs because of my physical state at the time — and partly it was also a social media experiment.
Some people questioned why I did not share that bit of my journey online. Well, I believe we should value our right to privacy.
03 IS SOCIAL MEDIA A BOON OR BANE?
I won’t deny the upside of modern-day connectivity with the multitude of marketing and branding opportunities. Social media gets messages across to the audience faster and is more transparent. I use it a lot to source for things that are near and dear to me. However, I can’t stress enough that social media, more often than not, can get emotionally tricky to deal with especially when you are in the spotlight.
Of course, you want to be known for inspiring stories but it is the age of cherrypicking information, so you may be in the tabloids due to click-driven influences.
A recent example was when I emceed at a nightclub and people were quick to judge.
Don’t get me wrong, you can debate and have different opinions but can you do it in a mature manner?
04 IS THE VOLATILE SOCIAL MEDIA ENVIRONMENT DAMAGING TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION?
This is one topic that I have also brought up with some NGOs. We need to have a programme that substantially teaches netiquette. There is this growing pool of keyboard warriors that we need to control.
As a parent, I guide my children through social changes and innovations. My daughter Isobel is more conservative about it than I am.
I respect her privacy when I do my vlogs and updates. Set examples and ensure a healthy digital atmosphere for children by making sure that we as adults know how to set a balance first.
05 WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE ON SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH?
Stand your ground but also learn to pick your battles.
For instance, when I uploaded a photo of myself with a dog, I knew that it was not going to sit well with netizens but my intentions were to highlight love and care ― it wasn’t to make a mockery out of the situation.
The approach ― how you caption/ write your post and how you speak to your audience ― should never come from a place of anger.
Suffice to say that I learnt the hard way, I blindly reacted to a negative comment with sarcastic remarks. I have been raised to speak my mind but I also understand the value of choosing words wisely.
I have been raised to speak my mind but I also understand the value of choosing words wisely.