STS class explores social media

By Danya Villarosa

Carlo Villarica of zerothreetwo reminds the class of being responsible social media users. Photo by Annie Fe Perez

To grasp a deeper thought on social media, Mass Communication students taking up Science Technology and Society (STS) invited a well-known blogger in Cebu.

Carlo Villarica made a talk as the guest speaker in a mini- lecture series entitled “The Impact of Social Media on Society” held at the Interactive Learning Center AVR in the University of the Philippines Cebu last September 19.

The applications of social media through Zerothreetwo.com which is a premiere online magazine featuring Cebu were discussed in the lecture series. The discussion ranged from topics on the use social networking sites as an avenue for communication and entrepreneurship.

According to Villarica they were able to help the people who wanted to know more about the latest in Cebu and they keep an interaction for their audience who ask questions about certain places or subjects in Cebu which serves to be one of the advantages of the social media. 

Villarica is the Managing Director at Bohol Gateway and oversees the whole travel agency, he is also the editor and writer of the website  Zeethreetwo.com , an Online Marketing at Destination Specialist and teaches their staff how to use the online media. 

ZeroThreeTwo  started as an idea by Villarica and his band mates and later becoming a means for profit with production of merchandise and online advertisements.

Spearheaded by Joy Erecre and Rosales from the Mass Communication Program students taking up Science, Technology and Society (STS 40) organized the activity under Prof. Ana Marie Talam.

Around 60 students coming from two blocks STS 40 A and D of the course attended the lecture.

 “Mini lecture series, I think, was conceptualized so that each program enrolled in STS40 can share topics from their respective fields to the whole class,” said Cornellius Elfie Dagmang student from block D.

STS 40 has a course description of analysis from historical and futuristic perspective of the nature and role of Science and Tech in the society and of the socio-cultural and polico-economic factors affecting the development of science and technology with emphasis on the Philippine setting.

Other mini-lecture series were also made every Mondays and Thursdays from September 23- October 7. The topics covered were “The Digital Watermark: An Overview on Cybercrime and Intellectual Property,” “Mass Production,” “High Tech, High Touch,” and “History of Advertising.”