Voters warned against ‘illusion of grandness,’ manufactured popularity in social media
VOTERS SHOULD be critical of what they see on social networking sites, especially during the campaign season, as their political decisions may be shaped by artificial popularity created by online content, data researchers said.
Jon Benedik Bunquin, a mass communication professor at the University of the Philippines, said political decisions may be influenced by algorithmically-curated feeds that technology companies can control.
“The mechanism within the space and the kinds of realities that are formed within the platform help us decide who to vote for,” Bunquin said during the e-Leksiyon: Taming Tech Titans forum last March 9.
“It can provide the illusion of grandness, can manufacture popularity, can manufacture all of these messages that can influence our decision come elect...
