There’s already been many jokes about the Facebook generation having their own openness coming back to haunt them in 20 years time, when they’re running industry and running for various political office. But that time is already here.
In the tragic situation of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, and the surprising rise to power of her 19-year-old son Bilawal, he is using Facebook already to communicate to the world. ABC New has more on the story at the link, but it’s at once both bizarre and fascinating to see how such a “trivial” tool can appear in such a serious and world-changing situation.
His note included the following:
“I am not a born leader. I am not a politician or a great thinker,” he wrote in the message, which is his first public statement since a few brief words when he was appointed party leader.
“I’m merely a student. I do the things that students do like make mistakes, eat junk food, watch Buffy but most importantly of all… learn,” he said.
“My time to lead will come but for now I’m the one asking questions, not the one answering them.”
Well, I guess the other thing it tells us is that even future world leaders are Buffy fans as well …
Politicians started using Facebook in the last year or so (we can see it both in the US and Australia at least), but this has to be the first time a politician (well, future one, in a sense), has used his own profile and posted his own personal messages.