Rise of misinformation due to over-reliance on socmed, experts say
RELIANCE on social media as a primary source of information among youths may lead to a rampant spread of misinformation in the long term.
According to Google’s internal data, nearly half of Gen Z would rather use social media than web search engines to search for information, and this has sparked concern among experts.
Sunway University communication department head Dr Padma Pillai said the most obvious impact is in the rise of fake news, especially among youths.
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“The overwhelming usage of social media as a source of information by Gen Z will lead to the rise of unverified information due to the nature of information and the control mechanism over such information that is shared on these media,” she told StarEdu.
Google senior vice president Prabhakar Raghavan, at a tech conference in July this year, alluded to this trend in a broader conversation.
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,” he said.
The said platforms, however, are generally deemed unreliable sources of information by experts.
“Social media such as TikTok and Instagram are a less credible source of information because the legitimacy of information being shared is unknown and the source of information is unverifiable. Contents are self-created and aimed to fulfil self-interest and needs,” Padma said.
She added that soliciting information from these media at face value may be detrimental.
“The onus is on both the content creator and the user of information to ensure information shared and solicited on these platforms is legitimate and has been verified,” she said.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it is “actively performing interventions by issuing clarification statements based on accurate and verified information” to counter misinformation.
“Stern action will be taken against those who spread fake news, where existing law provisions such as the Penal Code (Act 574) and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) will apply.
“The MCMC is also working with the social media and personal messaging service providers in reducing the spread of fake news, especially content that contains elements of credible harm and violence,” the commission said in a statement.
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The commission, however, said it does not monitor how and where the Malaysian public consume their information.
To curb misinformation, it encourages social media users to be more aware of their actions.
“Social media is merely a medium of interaction. The root cause of the problem lies in the user’s manner, mentality and intention when using the platforms.
“As such, everyone is responsible for what they spread or share on social media. Such issues can only be curbed if all users are aware of their respective roles, as well as have the determination to make a change. Users must learn to always be responsible,” it said.
