Filipinos and Social Media — So Swak Together
Debbie Lozare in Ang Pinoy Stories
Jan 21, 2020 • 2 min Read
Filipino culture and social media are like peaches and cream. They go together so well. Only a small fraction of Filipinos do not have a Facebook account. Add to that Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, and you have very little time left for anything else after updating, reading, commenting and sharing images, feelings, jokes and inspirational thoughts. The last one, especially for Bible thumpers, are a 24/7 job. Viral videos are our caffeine. Nobody can resist posting how the government is leading us all to perdition.
Social media is the varsity tambayan, the hair salon for gossips, the sari-sari store bench warmed by a coterie of Red Horse drinkers. We are amazed that we have found a long-lost love in Facebook, or that Kim Kardashian has just sent us a new picture of her ample buttocks on Instagram, or that we can retweet Stephen King’s new Trump missive. It’s fun, it’s free, it’s time-consuming.
And it’s here to stay. We have embraced it so tightly that we have forgotten to sit up straight and look a parent, friend or lover in the eye and converse. The dialogue is done through Viber now, or Messenger. In the whirlwind of so many shared pictures from a distant friend’s travels, or a sister’s new flower bed, we hardly have time to pick up the telephone to say hello to a friend or parent. Many homes no longer even subscribe to one. It’s the smart phone generation now, Grandma. Meet you in Skype or Facetime.
The agility of Filipinos is equal to the speed with which we adapt to new media, no matter if we have the slowest internet speed. We are still the fastest in circulating misinformation. We are no longer surprised by new things, which are rendered old in seconds. Hop on now, the ride will start with or without you.
The next wave—I fearlessly predict or fervently hope—is that Filipinos will leave the digital realm and connect for real. Again, we will hug a friend really tightly, scratch a dog’s neck until he’s had enough and quench the thirst of someone in need of a cool drink. After all, Filipinos are known for the best traits of caring and nurturing. The basics will be up front soon.
