The Information Age:

Current Issues on Social

Media
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

 1. identify the advantages and disadvantages of social

media; and
 2. describe the importance of social media in the field
of education.
Social Media
Among the benefits derived from science and technology are the
advancements in the field of communication. The information age has heavily
influenced the way people connect with each other. The most prominent
technological advancement of the new millennium is the rise of social media.
The Gutenberg Press was one of the most cost-effective inventions created
during the Renaissance Period.
 Aside from the printing press, there were also other technologies that
shaped the way people gathered and shared information. With the advent of
the personal computer in the 1970s and the internet the decade after,
humanity was introduced to a new method of sharing individual cultures,
stories, ideas, and general knowledge with others at a significantly faster and
deeper level.
The Rise of Social Media
The rise of social media was first seen in the popularization of
Friendster in 2002, succeeded by Myspace in 2003, and taken over by
Facebook in 2004. Facebook remains one of the main social media outlets
of today, alongside others such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
 Kemp (2017) estimated that there are about 2.80 billion active
social media users worldwide. The most prolific among the various social
media platforms is Facebook, with 2.072 billion monthly active users
using the site in 2017 (Statista, n.d.). The Philippines alone can account for
48 million social media users, 33.14 million of which are Facebook users.
According to Croteau, Hoynes, and Milan (2012), social media is
a tool that advertisers use to promote brands and products.
 Social Media, in general, makes political engagement easier because
“posting such support online requires little effort” ( Croteau, Hoynes, & Milan
2012).
The advent of social media has helped address this problem because these
platforms provide young adults a newer and more dynamic outlet for expressing
their political beliefs and interests (Keating & Miles, 2017)
 According to Nicols (2017), social media platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter turn technology into “a new form of communication
where people can virtually meet up with friends and communicate with
them in realistic ways from the comfort of their homes.”
Locally, news agencies such as Inquirer and Rappler have also
taken to social media to disseminate news and announcements everyday.
 Cyberbullying is also an issue associated with social media.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (2013), it
is estimated that 22 million students in America experienced some form of
cyberbullying each year. Furthermore, Zweig, Dank, Lachman, and
Yahner (2013) reported on the dangers of sexual abuse online.
Among teenagers who engaged in online or cyber dating, 6%
reported that they were being sent threatening messages. In addition, 6% to
8% reported being pressured to send sexual photos or engage in sexual acts.
Social Media in Education
Today, social media is used to further connect and enhance the
interactions between teachers and students both in and out of the classroom.

Advantages of Social Media in Education

In a survey conducted by Saleh Abdullah Alabdullkareem (2015), it was
discovered that both teachers and students showed high levels of agreement
regarding the positive impact of social media in use on education.
Both teachers and students believe that using social media in learning increases
opportunities for collaboration, interaction, and information sharing, as
well as improves communication skills while decreasing barriers for self-
expression.

1. Social media enhances student collaboration and interaction.

Beidelman (2015) describes how social media exists as a medium that
encourages a natural collaborative environment.
2. Social media allows information sharing.
In 2016, Qayyum Ch., Hussain, Mahmood, and Rasool surveyed
elementary students in Lahore City and found that those who used social media to
work on their assignments accomplished their homework more effortlessly
because of the ease of finding information in sites and attained better marks
compared to their peers who are non-social media users.
3. Social media expands student-teacher interaction.
With the increasing use of social media use among many of today’s
students, teachers have begun to find ways to utilize social media platforms
in their mode of instruction.
In a survey, Friedman (2014) was able to uncover through interviews how
many professors today use social media sites such as Instagram, Google,
Hangouts, and Twitter as a means to communicate with their students.
4. Social media improves student’s communication skills and decreases
barriers for self-expression.
Social media is a tool for facilitating communication could also be a
powerful means through which information and communication needs of
students could be addressed.
Disadvantages of Social Media in Education
These statistics reveal apprehensions toward the integration of social
media in the classroom that result in numerous negative effects such as the
reduction of face-to-face communication, cyberbullying, and the increase
in spelling problems.

1. Social media reduces face-to-face communication.

The prominence of using social media in education can result in
decreased face-to-face communication and interaction.
2. Social media can be used as a tool for bullying.
Aside from learning, the classroom is also unfortunate place where bullying
occurs.
According to the policy review authored by Kessel schneider, Smith, and
O’Donnell (2013), cyberbullying negatively impacts the learning environment as it
affects the students psychologically, causing stress and depression.
Examples of cyberbullying are malicious text messages or e-mails, rumors sent by
e-mail or posted on social media networking sites, spreading of embarrassing
pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles of students.
3. Social media affects the ways students write.
The use of social media in the classroom can also result in negative
learning outcomes on students’ spelling and grammar competencies.
According to a study by Dictionary.com, majority of teachers think
that students who use social media develop bad spelling and grammar habits
(PR Newswire,2017)
Biodiversity and the
Healthy Society
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able
to:
1. Examine the relationship between society, environment,
and health;
2. Address the issues on potential benefits of and detriments
to global health; and
3. Determine how humans benefit from biodiversity and
how they threaten it.
The Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 defined biological
diversity or biodiversity as the variability among living organisms in the
terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic resources of the Earth.

High genetic diversity within

population
Genetic Diversity
Low genetic diversity within
population
BIODIVERSITY

High number of species

Species Diversity
Low number of species

Narrow distribution of ecosystems

Ecosystem Diversity
Wide distribution of ecosystems

Various levels of diversity

 Genetic diversity describes the variety in the
number of genetic types, as well as the
chromosomes present in different species in a
given region. It is the differences in the
genetic makeup between species and the
variety within single species.

Ecosystem diversity is a type of diversity that refers to the variation in the

ecosystems in a region.
THE PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY

Vanishing Treasures of the Philippine Rainforest written by Kitching,

Heaney, and Regalado in 1999 describes the Philippines as the “Galapagos
Islands times ten.” For biologists, the Galapagos Islands is important because it
was Darwin’s visit to the islands that influenced his conception of the theory of
natural selection.
IMPACTS OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS
Humans greatly benefit from the environment and the planet’s
biodiversity. Biodiversity provides humans resources such as water, food, and
medicine.

Edward O. Wilson, an American evolutionary biologist, predicted

that the planet loses approximately 27,000 species per year. He based his
estimate on the rapid disappearance of ecosystems and destruction of biomes,
particularly forests and grasslands.
The 14th World Congress of Public Health held in India in 2015 emphasized
the relationship between human health and biodiversity. According to the report
“Connecting Global Priorities: Biodiversity and Human Health,” protecting
animals, plants, and ecosystems means protecting humanity’s health.
Biodiversity is a source of food, medicine, energy, and nutrients. It
provides humans the resources in order to survive. Any disruption or destruction
in the Earth’s biodiversity will also affect the life and health of the people.
In 2010, the Conference of the Parties (COP) adopted “Strategic Plan
for Biodiversity 2011-2020” with 20 global targets known as Aichi
Biodiversity Targets-national and international efforts to conserve biodiversity.
PRESSURES TO DIVERSITY
The Philippines is considered to be a diversity hotspot. However, while it
boasts of high biodiversity and endemism, it also experiences high rates of
extinction and environmental collapse. Following are several factors that put
pressure on biodiversity locally and globally.

1. Habitat destruction. Alteration or complete destruction of natural habitats

is a major factor that impacts biodiversity.
2. Invasive alien species. Alien species are non-natural or exotic species that
are not native in a particular area.
3. High population density and growth rates. The continuous increase in
human population increases the demand for food supply and resources.
4. Climate change. Climate change is the direct and dominant
driver of biodiversity loss.
5. Illegal wildlife trade. According to ASEAN-WEN (Wildlife Enforcement
Network), 100 million animals are being hunted for their meat.
6. Deficiencies in the knowledge on biodiversity. Public awareness and
education on the importance of biodiversity are necessary to conserve it.
7. Inadequate enforcement of environmental laws and poor political will.
Regulations, policies, and laws have been enacted to preserve the environment;
however, they are not properly enforced.
8. Failure to put value on the environment. According to the study of The Value
of the World’s Ecosystem Services and Natural Capita published in Nature in
1997, the value of ecosystem services amount to $33 trillion per year, and
majority of the value of these services is outside the market system.
Genetic Engineering
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. describe the principles in genetic engineering or recombinant
DNA technology;
2. identify the environmental health, and social implications of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their potential
future impacts; and
3. examine how GMOs are regulated.
 Genetic engineering, also known as recombinant DNA technology,
refers to all techniques that allow desirable genetic traits from a plant, animal,
or microorganism to be incorporated into an unrelated species.

A genetically modified organism (GMO), also referred to as

transgenic, is a product of genetic engineering.
The process of making insulin through
genetic engineering
Other substances that were once
available in small quantities from animals or
plants are now available in large quantities
through the manipulation and alteration of
genes. One example is the use of Escherichia
coli in the production of insulin. Insulin was
originally obtained from the pancreas of
slaughtered hogs and bovines, making it
expensive and inaccessible. Genetic
engineering has proven to be useful in many
different fields/aspects of society:
A. Medicine: Aside from insulin for diabetes, several medically useful
proteins like interferon and synthetic vaccines against malaria, rabies, and
hepatitis B have also been developed.

B. Food Industry: Food can be genetically modified to have more proteins or

other enzymes, improving the nutritional value and even medicinal properties
of these products.

C. Agriculture: Genetically engineered crops or transgenic plants are now

available in many countries worldwide.
In the Philippines, genetic engineering is applied in the production of crops.
Genetically modified corn, for example, has helped farmers’ crops become
resistant to corn borers. There are currently 400,000 farmers in the country who
have raised biotech corn. Another example of a crop now being genetically
modified is the eggplant. Eggplant is the number one vegetable in terms of
production area in the country. With an average 0f 21,225 hectares planted each
year, eggplant suffer significant yield loss due to the eggplant fruit and shoot
borer (FSB).
ISSUES AND CONCERNS
Genetic engineering is a controversial issue because it poses ethical concerns.
Critics have branded GMO products as Frankenfood based on Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein-a story about the scientist Victor Frankenstein who created a monster
that turned against his own creator.
The following are common issue and concerns on GMOs related to health and
environment.
1. possible effects on non-target organisms such as beneficial insects, mammals,
wildlife, and endangered or threatened species in the environment;
2. possible gene flow to or crossing with other varieties including indigenous crops
and with wild relatives;
3. possible formation of resistant insect pests and microorganisms;
4. possible persistence of toxins in the environment; and
5. possible formation of human diseases such as allergy and cancer.
GMO CONTAMINATION
There is a possibility that modified genes may cross with indigenous
crops or wild organisms. For example, with the wide proliferation of Bt corn, it
will sooner or later cross-pollinate native corn varieties (yellow or white corn)
that are locally used as food and animal fodder.

GMO Risk
Scientists who are critical of GMOs are questioning the health and
environmental risks that GMOs pose.

The following are some examples missteps concerning GMOs:

1. Bt toxin and monarch butterflies. Laboratory experiments suggest that
death may occur among monarch butterfly larvae that ingest Bt corn pollen
on host plants (Wolfenbarger and Phifer, 2000).
2. Bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or Posilac.
Human abnormalities have been attributed to drinking milk from cows
injected with rBGH.
3. Terminator or suicide seeds.
American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company
Monsato patented a technology that creates sterile seeds to protect its
patented synthetic genes.
Patent Issue
The issue of authorization is also present, particularly regarding
who is authorized to use modified or altered genes.

Ethical Issue
Many critics claim that technology of genetic engineering goes
against religious beliefs because its essence revolves around the idea of
“playing God” as GMOs directly modify the natural functions and
processes or organisms.
The BT Talong Case in the Philippines
One notable controversy concerning genetically engineered crops is
the case of Bt talong testing in the Philippines. In 2015, the Supreme Court of
the Philippines ordered the banning of the field testing of Bt talong, as well as
the application for field testing, contained use, propagation, and importation
of GMOs.
Policies and Guidelines
Transgenic plants that are now being used in other countries have
undergone strict laboratory and field tests to prove that they are safe for humans
and environment.

Genetic Engineering in the Philippines

Agricultural biotechnology is recognized by the Philippine government
as an effective tool in attaining food security, sustainable agriculture, and in the
promotion of health and food/environmental safety. Research involving
transgenic crops is conducted at the following institutions:
1. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos, Laguna which
develops varieties of rice and works environmental sustainability in rice
farming.
2. National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
(BIOTECH), Los Banos, Laguna which researches on and develops programs
to achieve sustainability to create better food and feed products, as well as
medical drugs
3. Philippines Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Science City of Munoz,
Nueva Ecija which attached to the Department of Agriculture(DA) and
develops methods and technology to improve crop yields, making agricultural
processes more effective and cost-effective
4. Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines, Los Banos,
Laguna that handles the development and improvement of plants and crops,
other than rice
5. Philippine Carabao Center, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija which is
also attached to the DA and aims to conserve the country’s carabao population.
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