Think before you trust advice sourced from social media

Malaysians increasingly turn to social media for advice, but the Board of Counsellors warns that unregulated opinions can overwhelm and mislead users. — Image by freepik

Malaysia’s Board of Counsellors, an agency under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, says it has observed a noticeable increase in people turning to social media platforms for advice since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Board member and counsellor Assoc Prof Dr Ooi Pei Boon says users are attracted to the accessibility and anonymity of online platforms and the speed at which they get responses.