Times have changed.
If you are computer illiterate, don’t tweet, blog or subscribe to Facebook and still think that paper and pencil is the way to make a statement, you are in for a rude awakening.
These days social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) is the primary means of communication for the younger demographic leaving much of the older generation out in the cold, figuratively, stuffing letters into mailboxes. Social media is immediate, but it can be anonymous and misleading as there is no one checking for the truth.
It is a cut and paste generation that has the power to affect decisions made in government based on sheer volume of emails and ferocious tenacity. These tactics scare politicians. The letter writers do not even have to be British Columbia residents as there is no way to verify where they reside, creating a problem with authenticity. Letters to the editor or opinion pieces, as opposed to bulk emails, have to be verified and writers are expected to put their name to their submission. It is about standing behind what you say and being willing to defend your point of view publicly.
Yes, one day we will be electing people using an on-line ballot, but until there are the proper safeguards in place, we can’t.
What the social media is doing is creating a perception of mass-think, where the power of the keyboard surpasses reasonable debate.
The times they are changing more than we could ever have imagined and lets hope we can keep the proper perspective. Everyone’s voice needs to be heard, especially those quiet voices in the back.
