Dear Editor,
There is a startling rise in the unscrupulous manipulation of people’s emotions by very savvy media operators. Imagine, if you will, a video emerges of a political rally where a racial incident takes place. This is shared on social media, people are angry, their reactions are guided by emotions which fuel further abuse.
Social media is awash with such events; it is a strategy engaged upon by those in power and those wishing to attain power, and added to the plethora of fake ‘news’ websites which make patently false claims to an increasingly gullible global population, it makes for poor decision-making.
Such manipulation abounded during the recent election in the USA. Guyana, however, is a much smaller society and the results could be disastrous in an already acrimonious political environment.
My advice to my fellow Guyanese is to stick to credible sources of information, and not be too willing to believe every video or photograph you see. Look closer and the manipulation may become clear; misinformation is the new reality, so do not be hasty in sharing or reacting to such manipulation. Think before you share.
Yours faithfully,
Robin Singh
