What could be worse than re-experiencing Yolanda? Well, experiencing a stronger super typhoon , of course.
As comprehensively narrated by the Filipino Scribe, the cyber sphere was rattled last January 2 when news broke out that a super typhoon will be approaching the Philippines by January 16 or 17 in this same year. Philippine Storm Update, a Facebook page, published that a low pressure area (LPA) has formed in the Southwest part of the Pacific Ocean and was allegedly said to be as strong as Typhoon Yolanda (International Name: Haiyan) . Following the list of typhoon names for 2014, the said typhoon will be named "Agaton".
The bulletin identified the Visayas and Southern Luzon regions as areas to be affected. Panic was felt and expressed by netizens by sharing the post nearly 20,000 times and commenting with their sentiments. A number of people asked if the news was true. Some cursed whoever shared the news. Others simply called for solidarity in prayers.
It turns out, the news was a hoax.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) rectified the situation to halt the spread of the rumor, clarify what is happening, and pacify the netizens. The agency said that a low pressure area (LPA) was detected but was in fact still far from the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). The typhoon can even weaken and dissipate so there is no evidence that it will be as strong as typhoon Yolanda (yet). However, the typhoon can possibly enter the PAR this month.
This scenario raises important things that we should ponder upon. Aside from the political aspects of disaster preparedness, budget allocations, and government capability (or incapability) of addressing a new typhoon despite having the debris of Yolanda unsettled, I aim to discuss a different side of the story; specifically, the manner netizens accept and reject information.
The power to disseminate information is indeed immense in the cyber world. A single post or tweet can spread faster than the black plague. The downside is, information may or may not be true. Rumor or truth? It doesn't matter. A post that speaks to our emotions and experiences will be easily believed, especially if there is some degree of connectedness or if netizens can easily relate. In the case of the Typhoon Agaton news, what can be observed is the passivity of netizens (particularly Filipino netizens) to information. The scenario is: we read news, we share it, we comment on it. But how many people actually recheck for its validity? Is "Googling" enough as a verifier? Most importantly, public awareness on these matters should be raised, especially on matters like knowing what agencies or institutions are authorities on such issues. A trustworthy friend who reposts some news articles is definitely less credible than persons who are directly involved, more knowledgeable, and immersed in their fields.
This "passivity", the manner we effortlessly accept and churn information, can be related to the article previously assigned for us to read. In our society, the education system for elementary schools (and in some cases, the secondary and tertiary levels) is tailored to feed natural science directly to us for consumption. The point of questioning is non-existent. It was published, and therefore, it follows that it is true. Arguably, this may in fact be true as it is manifested in how "some" (so as to avoid generalizations without actual research) easily believe what is posted on the internet and in other types of media. This is why I am deeply grateful that UP teaches students to be critical thinkers. By critical thinking, you do not act like a sponge absorbing whatever is given to you. You start to question, to doubt, and to challenge its validity by research. You start the quest for the truth, and as the popular cliche goes, the truth may indeed set you free: that is, freedom from ignorance and false beliefs. I believe that every man should be freed from this enslavement. Simply put, think and RETHINK before you act.
REFERENCE:
http://filipinoscribe.com/2014/01/04/typhoon-agaton/
Categories: