September 28, 2023

An op-ed by Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) entitled ‘The danger of politics in a post-truth world’ (September 2023) was recently featured in The Straits Times. The article comments on the increasingly complicated nature of politics in the face of social media; and the need for Singapore to unify to out-maneuver such threats.

A/P Tan discusses how social divisions endanger societal stability. This is seen from the increasing political polarization and the challenges of maintaining civil discourse among different interest groups. The predominant approach of zero-sum games in politics, combined with the advent and influence of social media, makes consensus-building difficult in a post-truth era. Disinformation is rife, and the public’s general unwillingness towards fact-checking creates further conflicts.

A/P Tan points out how the recent shift in American politics from a democratic model to a more authoritarian trend highlights the importance of unity, especially in Asian societies like Singapore. Asia faces concerning social divides, from age and gender to race and religion; most notably an emerging tension between younger and older generations. The region exhibits such tensions, with mixed success at mitigation; Indonesia has successfully managed religious extremism under President Widodo, whereas Malaysia continues to experience increasingly polarized racial and religious divides.

Read the article here: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/the-danger-of-politics-in-a-post-truth-world