There is a country which is witnessing exponential growth in every sector. Inflation that once marred the economy is almost in check, while citizens have reposed their trust in institutions, with mega projects like dams being built from charity collected across the globe. Once a stagnant country, is now rising like a phoenix from its ashes. The country alluded to in the lines above exists in a parallel universe we all know as social media. However, sometimes the radiation of events from this proverbial universe affects our real world too, and right now this is happening in Pakistan.
The prevalent scenario can aptly be elucidated with the help of a term from Psychology called “Illusion of truth”. The technique was effectively used by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels who said, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”. The whole notion has been further substantiated by a series of experiments by Lisa Fazio of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. The results suggested that “Illusion of truth” effect can swing our opinions, even if we possessed prior knowledge about a subject.
The tool and its usefulness has impressed the incumbent government so much that they have also embarked on this path to gain easy political millage, but the problem is that they assumed it was an elixir that could cure any problem they might encounter. However, they need to be told that too much use of the same legerdemain can also desensitize the masses, and rather than doing any good, it has started to work against them.
So the ludicrous streak of sensationalism manifested itself with ‘helicopter-gate’ that started a new debate in the country regarding per kilometre expenses of a chopper flight. Rather than ignoring the information minster’s naïve claim, the intelligentsia joined their heads together to solve this mystery. Those who never got more than 50 percent marks in mathematics went to the extent of deriving complex theorems on social media to prove their point for, and against, the claim.
The ludicrous streak of sensationalism manifested itself with ‘helicopter-gate’ that started a new debate in the country regarding per kilometre expenses of a chopper flight. Rather than ignoring the Information Minster’s naïve claims, the intelligentsia joined their heads together to solve this mystery; with some very questionable results
Then it was reported by a senior journalist that our Prime Minister refused to take the French Premier’s call, as he was completely occupied in his meeting with Pakistani journalists. Supporters of PTI were on cloud nine that at last they had found someone who does things the way he likes, and does not bend over backwards like the previous leaders. A few days down the line, it emerged that it had I fact only been minor officials who were trying to schedule a call for an appropriate time which was convenient for both leaders. Instead of clarifying the hazy picture in which a Premier of an influential country was given the cold shoulder, the government decided to keep quiet and ride the dangerous threat of populist politics until reality took its own course.
This just does not stop here. The CJP dam fund has recently become the PM-CJP dam fund, after the Prime Minister vowed to join this noble cause. Within hours of this announcement, the supporters of the ruling party swung into action and inundated social media with stories of business tycoons pouring hefty amounts of money in to the dam fund. In billionaire Pakistani-American Shahid Khan’s case, the alleged amounts ran into the billions of dollars. Yet as it turned out, many of these stories were false, and Shahid Khan himself had to publically deny any such action on his part.
It is believed by those having a myopic outlook that such information infuses hope in the nation and will have a snowball effect, which will exhort others to donate as well. Little do they know that such tittle-tattle is actually emotional black mailing, and person being referred to in this case may come under immense social pressure to either comply as per expectations, or become known as a, self-cantered, penny-pincher.
The need of the hour is that Government should take notice of this lurking problem before it is too late. A clear message ought to be given by Imran Khan to his ministers and to the social media cells of the PTI, that such actions can prove to be disastrous in the long run, and that a code of conduct is required for the running of their social media pages so instances of fake or misleading news can be curtailed.
Giving false hopes based on false assumptions will only create a utopian state on social media. Things need to be set straight, otherwise the ultimate losers will be the people of Pakistan who have given PTI the right to govern the country, and consider it a party that will bring a change for good. If the nation is betrayed this time, then masses will not trust any party or leader for a considerable time, which is not a good omen. It is a now or never situation for PTI, and the choice of how to proceed, is entirely up to them.
The writer can be reached via twitter: @murtazakazi1
Published in Daily Times, September 17th 2018.