Connecting 'digital citizens' on social media

Promoting civic responsibility

Every day, Mr. Nguyen Van Dan, 83 years old, and his wife, Mrs. Tran Thi Thuan, 80 years old, residing in Son Tien Hamlet, Hoa Hieu Ward, Thai Hoa Town, use their smartphones to communicate with their children and grandchildren via social media.

In particular, the couple frequently interact within the "Nguoi Son Tien" community group, managed by the construction block's leadership. Currently, 290 out of 388 households in Son Tien block participate in the Zalo group "Nguoi Son Tien," representing nearly 75% of the households in the block. This is considered a fast and effective information channel, enabling residents of the block, regardless of their location, to access comprehensive information about the block's activities.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuan stated that the "Nguoi Son Tien" community group has provided a lot of timely and relevant information to the residents of the block. This includes information on policies and guidelines at all levels, emulation movements, campaigns, and the responsibilities of each household in contributing fees and funds, as well as donations for block and ward construction and support for disadvantaged areas. It also includes announcements of meetings and collective activities within the block. All information is promptly updated by the block's leadership on the Zalo group "Nguoi Son Tien" and followed by the residents.

It is noteworthy that after the Block Management Board announced policies, guidelines, or campaigns, residents proactively implemented them within just 2-3 days of posting them on the Zalo group. The Block Committee immediately publicly shared the results of each family's implementation on the group. Regarding fundraising campaigns, in 2023, through the Zalo group, households in Son Tien block contributed a total of nearly 150 million VND to pave the road corridors with concrete, build a cultural center, and erect a "Solidarity" flagpole.

Through a call to action on the Zalo group, residents of Son Tien unanimously agreed to contribute funds to install air conditioners in the community cultural center, helping to increase the percentage of households attending community meetings. This is also the first residential area in Thai Hoa town to contribute to installing air conditioners in its community cultural center.

By leveraging the advantages of social media, specifically the Zalo application, the Son Tien Block Committee has promptly disseminated information and promoted the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, and local regulations to the people. Through the Zalo group, the block committee also interacts with the people, gathering information and understanding their thoughts, and promptly addressing their legitimate opinions and suggestions.

Furthermore, through the Zalo interactive group, residents can promptly report and suggest issues arising in the areas of ensuring security and order, protecting the environment, and ensuring traffic safety. This promotes the role and responsibility of cross-monitoring among households and helps the block's leadership committee to grasp information and coordinate timely solutions.

The role of the connector

The Zalo group "Nguoi Son Tien" (People of Son Tien) has now become an indispensable part of the activities of the Son Tien block (Hoa Hieu ward, Thai Hoa town). This Zalo group operates on the principle of "Prioritizing the masses, valuing interaction and equal, timely interaction." In this group, the important role of the Block Leader, Mr. Bui Dinh Bich, is crucial in establishing, promoting, and mobilizing households to participate, as well as directly managing, posting information, and addressing issues raised within the group.

Mr. Bui Dinh Bich shared that the Zalo group "Nguoi Son Tien" was established after the Block Party Branch Congress, term 2022-2025, following his consultation with the Party Committee and the Block Cadre Committee. This is one of the innovative steps in disseminating information, promoting awareness, and interacting among block cadres.

Mr. Bui Dinh Bich founded the group and was assigned to be its administrator on Zalo. Initially, Mr. Bich had to go to each household, explain the group, and invite residents to join. He also actively guided those who were unfamiliar with the process to participate and interact within the Zalo group.

From the time the group was first established until now, along with oral and loudspeaker propaganda methods, all content that needs to be disseminated to the people is posted on the Zalo group "Nguoi Son Tien" by the block's leadership committee so that households can access it. Currently, all information is shared on the Zalo group, reducing the time spent on loudspeaker announcements or visiting individual houses as before.

Following the success of the block's shared Zalo group, the Party committees, mass organizations, and branches in the Son Tien block have now all established Zalo groups and are operating effectively.

The interactive Zalo group activities of the Son Tien Block Committee have contributed to raising awareness, strengthening trust, and creating consensus among all segments of the population. Throughout this process, the Party Committee and the people of the block acknowledge the active role of the Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch and Block Head, Bui Dinh Bich.

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Mr. Bui Dinh Bich shared: “Now, all policies, guidelines, or content that needs to be implemented in the block are quickly communicated on the Zalo group “Nguoi Son Tien”. Even those who are far away from the block can keep up. If broadcast through loudspeakers, it would be time-consuming, and many households would not be home at the time of the announcement. Therefore, now, whether it's a public meeting or any other matter, just announcing it on the Zalo group allows people to access and fully comply.”

In a mountainous area, the fact that nearly 75% of households actively participate in social media demonstrates the involvement of "digital citizens" and affirms the modern and effective methods of communication and mobilization employed by local officials.

After observing this model, Mr. Pham Anh Duc - Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of the Thai Hoa Town Party Committee and Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Thai Hoa town, said: “The effectiveness of managing and interacting with the Zalo group “People of Son Tien” is one of the typical “skillful mass mobilization” models in Thai Hoa town. It acknowledges the responsible and dedicated involvement of the Party Committee, block officials, and the individual block leader, Bui Dinh Bich. Many residents in the block admire the block leader and often call him “a contemporary figure.” The operation and interaction of the Zalo group also demonstrates the high sense of responsibility of the people in Son Tien in the digital age…”

Currently, many Party committees and management boards at the block, hamlet, and village levels in Nghe An province have established "citizen" groups on Zalo to promote information sharing, implement movements and tasks, exchange thoughts and aspirations of the people, and resolve issues at the grassroots level.

Expanding the models of connecting "digital citizens" on Zalo in particular and social networks in general is an urgent task to improve the effectiveness of the work of officials at the ward, village, and commune levels, as well as to unite people in residential areas and contribute to building the homeland and the country.