Friday August 9, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC
Editorial by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Anyone who uses social media knows how easy it is to become confined within or dependent upon certain info streams or online communities. That could be on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn or email lists.
That’s part of the charm… feel involved and committed to something that keeps easily informing. Or does it? Silos develop quite rapidly… you follow the same people (or algorithms push you there), you expect new info, you expect to be informed, but soon it’s more of the same.
Part of the problem is that techies who code the social media algorithms (or managers who authorize them) are — for the most part — not directly impacted by consequences in business, community and government. They presume what we or their bosses want (or more simply they use what works on their desktop) and that becomes what we get.
Promoters who can afford staff to massage and manipulate digital feeds are relying on desktop-enthusiasts who may not realize the broader impacts of what they post on behalf of employers or candidates.
In the last few elections (whether federal, provincial or municipal) there has been an enormous dependency by candidates and parties to proliferate their message in social media. Yeah, Internet-connected folks may see that. But people are thirsting for real connection and a reasonable pace (a key reason this newspaper is back in print for distribution in community).
In that context, campaign managers may want to reconsider a super-charged social media campaign and remember to include traditional media (online and print) for presenting their messaging to readers beyond their own silos. After all, isn’t it the ‘independent’ voter that needs to be won over in a tight race? You won’t find them in your silos.
~ As first published on page 2 in the July 12, 2024 Island Social Trends biweekly Print Edition | DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS WELCOME
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Mary P Brooke is the founder and editor of Island Social Trends. She has been covering elections in the west shore since 2008 and publishing throughout the transitional storm that is print-to-online. She writes through a socioeconomic lens, always with the political impacts on households, community and society in mind.
Her series of print publications is now archived at the Sooke Region Museum: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), and West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Shifting during the pandemic to publishing entirely online, Ms Brooke’s readership follows her at IslandSocialTrends.ca . The print-PDF biweekly edition (launched in 2024) is available for free pickup in communities around the west shore, and by PDF to anywhere by email.