Change through social media

SINGAPORE - Online community manager Cassandra Eng is not deterred by the "trolls" or "keyboard warriors" commonly found in cyberspace.

The 25-year-old is part of a team that runs the ConnexionSG Facebook page under Nexus, the department in the Ministry of Defence responsible for total defence and national education.

The page, which has attracted more than 33,000 "likes", features content such as photos, videos and blog posts relevant to life in Singapore.

"Our fans are generally sensible, and they disagree in a civil manner," she said.

"There is a slow shift in the online sphere in general. People are getting tired of negativity."

Ms Eng monitors discussions on the page to prevent abuse, but tries not to censor them.

"We know that things are not always hunky-dory, and we do encourage our users to have real, honest exchanges on our page," she said.

Having studied communications for seven years at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Nanyang Technological University, Ms Eng believes strongly in the power of social media.

"I see the potential it has to affect change and reach out to the masses," she said.

jianxuan@sph.com.sg

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