Week 9: Politics & Internet

There has been much talk about how the Internet is supposed to help bring politics to a whole new level. There has been many compelling evidence for this argument as well, but is the Internet really helping politics?

In the context of the US, I would suppose so; after all, Obama leveraged the power of social media and Internet to win votes and much-needed funds for campaigning.



Even his inauguration was viewed by millions around the world. People no longer had to stay glued to their TV sets to watch it. Now news is about what you want, when you want it, and we are pickier about our choices than ever before.

But what about locally? With the upcoming elections, all the different political parties in Singapore are turning to the Internet for a leg-up. Since the opposition parties do not get enough attention from the mainstream media, they try to use websites, social networking and so on to get their point across.

Though it may help to increase awareness, sometimes this awareness backfires.



Let's look at Tin Pei Ling.

She's the youngest MP candidate introduced by the PAP this year, and she has been the brunt of ridicule on the Internet ever since. Even though the Internet can raise awareness, it can also raise awareness of the wrong issues.

Instead of going after her policies, or what she can contribute to the society, netizens are vicious in their personal attacks on this candidate. They misuse the Internet to expose trivial details about her, and the entire debate disintegrates into childish name-calling and malicious remarks.

I am sure the with the upcoming general elections, the entire point of discussing politics on the Internet is to facilitate understanding, to weigh the pros and cons of each candidate and each political party before casting a rational vote. Unfortunately, political discussion on the Internet has been reduced to mud-slinging.

Because this is controversial, and it is also interesting, it captures the majority's attention. People may not actively go out and source for objective material about the important things that matter - the polices, what each political party stands for and their plans for our future.

Let's not let the loudest voice on the Internet prevail; don't let it drown out the more important things at hand. Remember that with the Internet, the information is there at your feet, just waiting to be discovered.