Do 'friends' and 'fans' equate to votes?

Fifty-three out of 80 PAP MPs are now on online social networking site Facebook seeking to reach the digital generation, engage their constituents and publicise their activities. But as they soon found out, Facebook has its downside and limitations. While the medium is useful for publicising events to constituents, it is not an effective platform for in-depth discussions on issues. Assistant Professor Eugene Tan notes that the platform sometimes lends itself to protracted debate, which is often 'characterised by polarised views and therefore not enlightening'.