Your truth? Their truth? THE TRUTH?

            I believe many are not unfamiliar with the police car incident of Bersih 3.0 lately. Now, we used to have to wait for our mainstream media to update in order to get any information or news, but with the new media that we have – we can access any information as “live” as it allows people to upload and share photos and videos almost instantly. We have Youtube!, Facebook, Viddy.com, Twitter, Flikr, Instagram etc. And with them, we get to know the situations and everything there as if we are there ourselves!

            This time around Bersih 3.0 had been saddled with a car accident involving a police patrol car, and of course, without fail, tear gas and water cannons. Youtube, Facebook – they are much faster and more efficient then our mainstream media. We need not to be there to know that the streets are full with yellow, unlike before - where we have to be there personally to engage in that experience, the "virtual reality" on social media nowadays offer us another alternative to experience things ( Bohil et al., 2009; Denning, 2001; Hillis 2002, as cited in Wood, 2009, p.319). 

             Now, let’s focus on the issue of the police patrol car running into participants of Bersih 3.0. If not for these photo / video sharing social media, we would most probably be manipulated by the mainstream media and got spoon-fed with any sorts of information that they want us to get. Especially when social media are often used for the purpose of "furthering political agendas" Twitter and Youtube has been blocked for several months in China before the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. But they are subjective in nature and can sometimes do good as well (Disadvantages of Social Media, n.d.). But in this case, do have a look at the video down here. It is THEIR version of TRUTH.

    

            According to TV3 – the Bersih protesters attacked and overturned the police car as a sign of dissatisfaction and frustration towards the government. But, THE TRUTH is people overturn the police car because there are victim that are trapped under the car who needs immediate medical assistance. Look here and here for more information regarding on this incident. Thanks to the convenience and the advance technology that these social media has brought to our life, the truth has been revealed by several videos captured by the witnesses on the spot.  This is one of the blogs of the car accident victim.

            It has been really obvious now that these platforms such as Youtube or Facebook have leave little space for lies, deceit and deception. Although photos and videos can always be modified or edited to camouflage the truth, but the convenience that these social media brought has been proven effective in counteracting these false information. People snap photos and record videos which can be uploaded on the internet later without a fuss – it is easier, and definitely faster and more efficient, and the truth often revealed itself after comparing. 

            However, we should have never underestimated the influence of social media – with everyone being able to post and share anything anytime anywhere, in some cases, there is not much credibility in the information being shared. We should practice critical thinking when it comes to videos and photos that are being showed online. It is a platform where everyone can post and share, but not everything you can trust. The convenience and efficiency of video and photo sharing media, if misused, will result in more havoc, lies and troubles.

            Let’s have a look at why we need to be "media-smart"... ... 

           

           

            Enough said? 

References

Research article: Disadvantages of social media. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.theresearchpedia.com/research-articles/disadvantages-of-social-media

Wood, J.T. (2009). Communication mosaics: An introduction to the field of communication. United States of America: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning