Social Media Capital
What is the social media reality of the Philippines? What is in our nation and culture that makes us a global leader in social media usage? What pragmatic use do we get out of it?
According to the annual digital reports of We Are Social and Hootsuite, the Philippines is a world leader in social media usage.*** We have been keeping the crown since 2016 even if our internet connections do not meet the worldwide average speeds.
Singapore leads the globe on fixed internet connection speed, but Singaporeans spend lesser time on social media than Filipinos. The same case can be seen in South Korea, which is the leading country on mobile internet connection speed.
SOCIAL MEDIA |
CONNECTION DOWNLOAD SPEED |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | |
73.6 mbps Mobile: 32.0 mbps |
|
| Philippines | 25.6 mbps (BA) Mobile: 16.8 mbps (BA) |
||
| Singapore | 200.1 mbps (AA) Mobile: 57.2 mbps (AA) |
||
| South Korea | 144.4 mbps (AA) Mobile: 103.2 mbps (AA) |
||
AA=Above worldwide average
BA=Below worldwide average
Apparently, a slow internet connection does not demotivate Filipinos from using social media regularly. The average daily time that Filipino internet users aged 16 to 64 spend on social media is almost 4 hours a day.
On the other end of the scale is the Japanese who only access social media 45 minutes a day.
It goes without saying that each platform does not have a uniform effect. Receptiveness also depends on national and cultural contexts. Constant social media usage is not solely caused by the addictive design of the platforms. If it is such the case, why do digital trends vary around the world?
To understand the social media reality of each country, there is a need to contextualize online behavior within offline lives.
In our case as Filipinos, how does social media complement our social behavior? Is this culturally engraved in our blood – are we a nation that can easily be swayed to spend most of our time on social media due to certain cultural habits, practices, and trends?
Here are some of the reasons that I have collated – based on heuristics, hunches, and wild guesses alike – behind social media fanaticism in the Philippines:
APPLICATION OF FAMOUS FILIPINO CULTURAL TRAITS/VALUES IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA SPHERE
1. Hospitality and Politeness
Positive: We, Filipinos, are known for our hospitality. A rich history of colonialism bludgeoned us into having a friendly attitude to people of diverse backgrounds. In the social media sphere, Filipinos can still exude warmth: a friend of a friend of a friend is also a friend. The list of mutual friends and followers is endless. The more we spend time on social media, the higher the possibility of having promising connections. Our English language skill is also a bonus; it lets us interact with people of different nationalities.
Negative: Being too respectful and approachable can encroach on privacies. Up to what extent will we reveal our individual identities and private information just to be positively viewed as hospitable and polite? A friend of a friend of a friend may be a hacker, a bot, or a cyborg. Where are our boundaries? In the real world, we have doors and gates; in the online world, do we construct such? The more we spend time on social media, the higher the possibility of our personal spaces being intruded.
2. Resourcefulness and Thriftiness
Positive: Poverty may remain a significant challenge in our country, but financial constraints do not stop us from reaching our dreams. We are known for our ingenuity and resourcefulness. Free online information is not an opportunity to be squandered. Facebook is so kind to introduce free Internet access in our country through the Free Basics service. It expunged inequality; everyone can be updated on news and current events. The more we spend time on social media, the higher the chance that education can be distributed.
Negative: Our thriftiness in accessing news and education can make it harder for us to sift out the unreliable information from the genuine ones. Fact-checking is challenging when everyone can produce content. In the cyberspace, being literate does not only pertain to reading and writing abilities, or to having a technical know-how on navigating applications; it is also about being critical in evaluating digital information. Unfortunately, majority of us are still gullible enough to believe in false news. The more we spend time on social media, the higher the chance that misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation can spread.
3. Conservative
Positive: We are very traditional; unconventional ideas are usually frowned upon. In real life, it is hard for the bohemians and liberal thinkers to express opinions that could overturn long-held beliefs. However, in the cyberspace, it is easy to create communities regardless of the cause. The more we spend time on social media, the higher the chance to meet like-minded intellectuals. Everyone has a voice to incite positive social change.
Negative: When we do not want to be negatively viewed with our esoteric ideas, we tend to create false accounts that can guard our identities. This enables us to create content that fortifies personal beliefs. However, the more we spend time on social media, the higher the chance that a user will only be exposed to information that he/she supports. Forming bonds with like-minded communities can close doors to opposite opinions. How can everyone be equally heard to incite positive social change?
4. Family-Oriented
Positive: Our intimate ties with family members can be maintained regardless of geographic locations. With social media, communication is free and instant. This is very beneficial for overseas Filipino workers; diaspora does not stop the sharing of deep cultural bonds. The more we spend time on social media, the more we can feel at home.
Negative: Ironically, social media can also tear a family apart. As we communicate constantly with those who are far away, we forget to spend time with those who are near to us. The more we spend time on social media, the more we run away from our house.
5. Bayanihan (Community Spirit)
Positive: Bayanihan is a Filipino word that pertains to the spirit of unity within a community. Everyone is inclined to help each other without expectations. It is natural to extend this cultural trait online where our fellowmen can be found without a sweat. The more we spend time on social media, the easier it is to facilitate crowdsourcing, and to build humanitarian organizations.
Negative: Unfortunately, a strong sense of community can also foster crab mentality where people consciously sabotage the achievements of others for personal gain. In the online world, we can unite with like-minded communities to throw hate speech over our enemies. The more we spend time on social media, the easier it is to facilitate wars.
6. Resilience and Humor
Positive: We, Filipinos, have been through a lot. Many colonialists have invaded our territory, natural disasters strike us regularly, and we are still categorized as a "developing" country. Thus, it is just natural for our survival instincts to instill equanimity in our spirit. When push comes to shove, a good sense of humor is necessary. Viral jokes and memes in the online world relieve us from the burdens of everyday life. The dopamine hits help us to de-stress. The more we spend time on social media, the more we can remain positive and inspired.
Negative: Too much resilience can also lead to fatalism. We may remain contented in inaction. Our mañana (procrastination) habit does not motivate us to face our problems head-on. When push comes to shove, we may remain paralyzed in laughter. Getting reactions and shares from feelings vented online does not solve actual problems. The more we spend time on social media, the more we can literally escape, rather than embrace, harsh realities.
7. Faithfulness
Positive: Our country is predominantly Catholic. Most of us are religious people who love to glorify God at all times in all spaces. Nonetheless, no matter what the religion is, almost anyone believes in positive karma. What goes around comes around: religious teachings and/or spiritual information must be shared to receive good blessings. The more we spend time on social media, the more communities of faith we can build.
Negative: Too much inspiration and positivity does not leave a room for healthy curiosity. We do not even mind trying all social media applications as long as it can connect the faithful. We become too kind; we always have positive reception over tools with spiritual content that we have not fully reviewed. Anything labeled as Christlike is accepted even if the content is fabricated. The more we spend time on social media, the more communities of faith can be used for unspiritual gains.
I will be a student of the media forever. I hope all Filipinos will take this stance as well, so that we could collectively answer, as a nation, if we shall still keep the social media crown in the years to come.
How does our social media usage reflect our sociability? Is our online behavior a reliable depiction of our offline realities? Does it complement, or replace our offline lives?
Is it a good space to live?
Is it worthy of our time?
Does it operate without space?
Is it bounded by time?
At the very least, intentionality is our responsibility. Consciousness of why, when, and how we are using a platform is the key to answering our social media reality.
***(1) https://wearesocial.com/digital-2020;
(2) https://wearesocial.com/digital-2019-global;
(3) https://wearesocial.com/blog/2018/01/global-digital-report-2018
(4) https://wearesocial.com/special-reports/digital-in-2017-global-overview;
(5) https://wearesocial.com/special-reports/digital-in-2016
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