Critical literacy

IF A 2019 report by Hootsuite, a social media manager firm, were true, the Filipinos are in the virtual world at an average of 10 hours and two minutes every day. The Philippines, it said, surpassed Thailand to become the country that spends the most amount of time online.

In most of Hootsuite’s stats, the Philippines persistently figures in the top roll. We’re fifth in the world list of prepaid share of mobile connections at 96 percent, following Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria.

Hootsuite’s Digital 2019 report said the Filipinos spend an average of four hours and 12 minutes on social media platforms, easily beating the world average of two hours and 16 minutes.

As the trend continues to soar, businesses scamper for fresher models while a slew of new job descriptions emerge—a kind of gold rush in the virtual world.

But as e-commerce flourishes, an ugly twin, on the other hand, also rears its head. A thriving industry of contract keyboard mercenaries are out there, serving the propaganda needs of high-profile clients and twisting public opinion to delusional levels.

The Hootsuite report serves as another timely alert, most crucially as the mid-term elections loom.

We have seen how, a supposedly democratic platform, has also enabled the powerful and corrupt sector to flex its muscles and stretch its reach to advance its interests.

Thus, the call for a more intense campaign for media literacy and voter education.

The public needs a critical compass to map its way in the mare’s nest of images, words and sounds that bombard it, yes, 10 hours and two minutes every day.

Journalists, the academe, the church, civil society groups may get their act together to plot out a fight plan, build the virtual firewall against agents of fake news, trolls and distraction mongers.

Or to clear the air of misinformation, to provide context and perspective in the options we make in the coming elections.

To educate those who may not have access to the day’s true tales, to lift consciousness, to point people to the direction of sober choices.

We break the news. We break fake news as well.