Prince George, B.C. – If you spend a lot of time on social media prepare for an onslaught of political messaging once the writ drops tomorrow and the provincial election campaign officially begins.

“British Columbians can expect to have their dinner hours interrupted by phone calls and their Facebook feeds filled up with adds,” says Jason Morris, a political science lecturer at UNBC. “And if they do other things like Twitter and Instagram, to be all switched to focusing on the election on May 9.”

Political Science lecturer Jason Morris – photo courtesy UNBC

Though social media has played a role in previous elections, he figures it will be even more intense this time around.

“I feel for the last few campaigns it was an instructive and helpful way to get information about the campaign and to go directly to those that are seeking the offices of the institutions of government,” says Morris.

“But I’m feeling overwhelmed by it now and that it’s very hard to sort out for myself as a so-called expert, but also as a voter, the wheat from the chaff – what is real news? What is so-called fake news? What is wasting my time? What is spin and what are the facts?”

So, how to wade through it all?

“I will sound idealistic or naïve – but people should make an effort to not just gradually isolate themselves into a bubble of opinion that closely reflects their own views,” says Morris.

“That if they want to try to see what is happening, they are going to have to seek out sources from view points that are not in accord with their own.”