Improving Governance by Maximising Effectiveness of Social Media

The Youth I.D.E.A.S. announced its latest report on
“Improving Governance by Maximising Effectiveness of Social Media”

The Youth I.D.E.A.S. (established by HKFYG Youth Research Centre) has released its study on “Improving Governance by Maximising Effectiveness of Social Media”.

An online survey conducted between February and March, 2020, on 1,028 young people aged 15 – 34 noted that an overwhelming majority (952 respondents) had found the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) information via social media.

Of the 952 respondents, low ratings were given by this group for the performances of the HKSARG on explaining policies, grasping public sentiment, building HKSARG’s public image, dealing with emergencies, providing platform for public engagement, and clarifying misinformation on social media. The average rating of each fell into the range of 1.53 to 2.35 points only (0-10, 5 indicates the equivalent of a pass mark), with the one “grasping public sentiment” placing at the bottom at 1.53 points.

Asked what they most expected if using social media to connect to the HKSARG, the largest proportion (29.3%) of the total respondents said that they hoped to get a response.

The research interviews with 4 experts and academics concluded that the HKSARG should keep pace with the rapid development of social media. They also referred to the poor approval rating of the Government in recent years, in which people easily turned to social media to give vent to their dissatisfaction towards the Government. The Government should pay attention to its governance performance.

The HKSARG has entered into the social media world for ten years. It is timely to review its performance and explore ways in which social media could enable better governance.