Misplaced hysteria
Tweet. Retweet. Retweet again. And voila! The stars are born.
Tap-and-click popularity has gone all wild in the perception of today’s generation, that even a feat in the 500-“like” mark or in the “trending” column can stir up hullabaloos.
Tweets: Somehow I can trace how far the power of this six-letter word has come. I first knew of the microblogging site Twitter as the portal of real-time updates on news-to-go from the world over aside from celebrities’ announcements of their daily to-dos. Usually, there’s not much activity that a lay tweetizen like myself can do but scroll, “favorite,” or “view profile” the items appearing on the feed.
For the current affairs and public agencies, this social media platform has been of great help for information dissemination, among others. All the same, I commend the press corps, whose presence dominates my Twitter feed most of the time, for expanding its clout of service to the people—from the history-old gray and printed dailies or TV channels to social media platforms which are more convenient, easier to access and real-time-paced. With this advancement, I am able to be at the forefront of awareness on matters affecting the country, the world and the people at large.
I am equally pleased for the correspondents or the celebrities themselves whom I follow because I get the updates on their latest shows or concert tours from their official accounts. But that’s just the props.
There are times, however, when this engine of communication has become the fuel of outrage. Famous users (hey, not you, but those who are called “stars” on TV) have their anguish against their fellows expressed in 140 characters or less. Consequently, the clamor and the maelstrom heat up, but only as short-lived chika.
In a way, I was enthused to create an account way back in July 2009, to take part in the continuous striving of the youth for global wakefulness and for the realization of the many objectives concerning national interests, on top of others. This allowed me to be always on duty to the patriotism I promise my fatherland whenever I sing the national anthem, and to somehow compensate for the efforts of those who fought for the sovereignty of the Philippines.
Yet, media mileage has been no exception to the misconceptions, often aggression, of society. Recently, it has evolved from being a courier of sensibility to a medium of public nuisance.
The hype of many Filipinos who identify themselves to be living in an “AlDub nation” has caused the mutation of the essence of some popular social media sites. Worse, it put death to the business of social statistics.
Well, if you’re not into this hysteria, AlDub is a synergy of two talents from a local broadcast giant. They star in an inset series of a certain noontime show and began as a virtual love team. The story that developed was then faithfully tailed by fanatics hooked on the romance.
The couple gained so much attention and so much acceptance in Filipino households that even the national newspapers have taken notice and put them on the front page. It’s as if AlDub is the greatest breakthrough in the noontime show and its network in their decades of existence.
This development in Philippine television has utterly spoiled every scroll I make in social media, particularly after the episode showing the couple finally meeting up.
Most unfortunately, tweeting was used to gauge the power of the AlDub phenomenon when tweets will never equate to actual audience preference. For the Sept. 26 episode, avid followers claimed to have set a world record for the number of tweets that flooded Twitter. (Retweeting is another subject to ridicule here.)
Hashtags, “pabebe waves,” my friends’ ostentatious declaration of their fondness for AlDub, and even updates from news media platforms have replaced the pixels I used to navigate for informative items.
For progressivists like me, dismay is easily the highlighted reaction. Imagine the vast loss to the nation when its citizens go wild over AlDub day after day notwithstanding the pressing problems that badly need a band of cooperation among “sane” people. Indeed, most of the AlDub fans are more knowledgeable about what to watch out for in the next episode than the issues involving the 2016 elections, the coming Apec summit, the apparent lost cause of lower income taxes, the kidnapping on Samal Island, etc.
It’s matter over mind out here, synonymous to delight over involvement.
And why isn’t Jerrold Tarog’s “Heneral Luna” not the highest-grossing Filipino film when there is more substance and learning to be picked from it? Or why does it not even make it to the top trending topic on Twitter or Facebook if it is substance that netizens are concerned about?
I have never witnessed such frenzy among people over AlDub. Frankly, there were days when I didn’t want to use my Facebook account because of the many and repeated posts about the couple by commoners and in news portals. Even sixtysomethings are proclaiming their affection for the tandem. So many are piloting their Twitter accounts just to participate in the parley between 1 and 3 p.m.
Truly misplaced affection.
As part of the youth block who strives, even in simple ways, for the continuous progress of the country, this vociferous idolatry is exasperating.
Still, the oft-said “If you have nothing good to say, better shut up” has been reverberating in my mind since I started writing this piece. But why would I rant in social media over the destabilized feed if I will only be hated by the “AlDub nation”?
I understand that people may not like what I have written because of bias. But I guess that with an open mind, you’ll see its worth and ponder upon it.
Being savvy to the social issues of the day benefits our overall values. It enables us to think critically, develop our research skills and widen our cross-curricular influences.
More than the personal purpose of this writing is my stand for the positive regard of the important and pressing problems our society is facing. Yes, I admit, love is the best topic to which everyone can relate. But I insist that tweeting, posting and sharing should also be as gentle as love.
I believe I share this position with a handful of awakened people. Puro ka AlDub, may biometrics ka na ba?
Al Christ D. Selim, 19, is studying industrial engineering at the University of Cebu.
