Malaysians need to be more digital savvy

THE debate on whether the government should regulate social media in the country or leave it to the public to self-regulate is a crucial discourse.

Reports say that Putrajaya is considering a plan to regulate and license social media platforms. If implemented, this plan would involve the imposition of a content code on these platforms, particularly regulating political content.

Civil society is very concerned that this move could stifle freedom of speech. Some have suggested that the government instead establish a social media council to provide a self-regulatory framework for content moderation.

The long-gestating media council covering publications has not had much luck in coming to fruition so could another self-regulating council actually happen?

Well, the debate rages on, and social media is heating up about freedom of speech and government regulation – but we have another issue we want to highlight that must not be overlooked: media and information literacy.

Social media has undeniably become integral to our daily lives, shaping how we communicate, share information, and form opinions.

According to DataReportal (tinyurl.com/3jwm27tj), there are 33.59 million Internet users in Malaysia, with Internet penetration at 97.4%. In January this year, 83.1% of the population, or 28.68 million Malaysians, were active on social media.

Do all these millions of users know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truth from the lies? Can Malaysians analyse and evaluate the information that floods over us every day?

According to Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), “Media and Information Literacy provides a set of essential skills to address the challenges of the 21st century, including the proliferation of mis- and disinformation and hate speech, and digital innovations, notably artificial intelligence”.

While the debate over how much regulation is too much continues, we users must make our own way through the digital jungle and find clarity.

For instance, we need to start teaching our children about the digital world in primary school – do you really think they are not getting online in some form or the other that early?

We need to teach them not to take everything they read and see online as the gospel truth, that they should ask questions, and seek different sources.

Most of all, Malaysians really must learn not to be so hateful online. Part of the reason the government is pushing for regulation is the rise in toxicity online in the form of hate speech.

Digital literacy also includes knowing when to share something and when to hold off because it’s fake information designed to upset people into sharing it in a moment of anger – anger drives all those viral videos and posts.

And now we have artificial intelligence (AI) to worry about.

So we welcome the launch of the “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programme for the People” by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier this year.

We need more such programmes whether we have more government regulation of social media or not.