Ban on facebook
The government has recently banned using facebook in offices citing reasons that staffs spent so much time in chat and looking at photos that office progress went badly slow.
Bhutan moved to liberal politics in a situation when media has over diversified. The countrymen have already entered into the global village through internet super highway that government’s attempt to cull would be counterproductive. Countrymen hungry of using the benefits of media are obvious to go crazy about it and use it to the best possible.
Shortly after government banned facebook in offices, new generation in the country started using this social media to break the news. In a novel idea, Pasang Tshering tool initiative to cultivate importance of media among Bhutanese by encouraging people to give live updates of events and news happening around the country through facebook. People have already started posting news from far apart. Using social media such as facebook to circulate news and special events sounds a fantastic idea in a country like Bhutan where media has not become the part of the everyday life. Tshering has already run old-stuffs buying-selling platform in facebook from where a big number of Bhutanese have benefitted. Consequently, internet savvies are learning gradually the power of media.
Only a few months back, PM Jigmi Thinley had talked in length about benefits of using social media for community’s progress. He had pronounced that one of the reasons Bhutan remaining behind in effective communication is lack of using social media efficiently. Sadly, the talk followed banning facebook in office. Ban is not solution but using this tool effectively to mould the situation for everyone’s good would be the alternative.
Hope, government’s interest to ban facebook in office will not spill out to general public when public political criticism mounts against the politicians who have criticism-phobia. This was what had happened with bhutantimes.com once.
The government employees’ enthusiasm to use the newly found tool must not be snatched. They must be encouraged to use it whereby it becomes beneficial to both office and the user.