The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Is balance of trust shifting from political to social?

Click HERE


Note:
-the importance of public trust in the govt...it's something PAP prided itself on having, and which it is also wary of losing among the young people in recent years
-public trust in the govt can be eroded by the internet, esp in the circulation of fake news
-the concept of 'confirmation bias' which is the same of the 'willingness of the user' and 'user-driven' concept of new media I've been saying...i.e. people go online not so much to seek alternative news, but to confirm the news bias they already possess...
-examples of SARS in Singapore, Brexit and Trump's triumph in the US election


"Because of the confirmation bias that many of us are afflicted with, technology - the social media in particular - now enables people to retreat into online echo chambers that narrow down information and reinforce already-held beliefs. It becomes easy to ignore, or to simply shut our eyes to contrary views that are in conflict with our beliefs and outlooks. More information does not yield better decisions."

"instead of public trust flowing up and down a vertical street from the people to the government, to the politicians and the regulators, to the authorities and the experts, as it used to, it is now also beginning to flow horizontally, to other people, and even to programmes, algorithms and bots.....Is it possible that in today's world, technology is shifting the balance from the political to the social? Instead of public trust being reposed with the elites, experts and authorities in government, the argument being made is that trust today lies more with "the people" - families, friends, classmates, colleagues, even strangers who might share your same outlook. In other words, a transfer of trust is taking place, from institutions to individuals"


Qn: How prepared is your society  (or Singapore) in dealing with future challenges?