Embedded Files
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn"- Alvin Toffler.
According to recent research based on the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, the Philippines was among the nations with the lowest rating in understanding reading methods for judging the authenticity of sources. Based on this finding, Filipino youth are believed to be among the most vulnerable to fake news and disinformation in the world.
The spread of disinformation on the internet is a challenge for education practitioners to collaborate and create solutions to enhance media literacy. It has also provided a chance to recognize the critical role of social media, which continues to be an initiative in-country and representative democracies.
In answer to this, the College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the Office of the Students Affairs in Services, sponsored a national webinar to offer students in-school opportunities to learn how to detect biased information and analyze the role of media in our society to transform our youth into fact-finding detectives. The webinar was participated by the different youth students around the country. The organizers invited caliber resource speakers from prestigious universities, Dr. Marlon Pontillas of CSPC-Nabua and Dr. Jonalou S. Labor of UP-Diliman, who discussed fact-checking and media roles, respectively.
"Many netizens do not know how to fact-check, they do not know where and when to believe, they cannot recognize what truth is and what is not because they are not properly education"-Dr. Marlon Pontillas of CSPC-Nabua. Students may take the material at face value because they lack fact-checking abilities. Schools should educate students on how to acquire, evaluate, critique, construct, observe, and respond to sources as a method of both safeguarding and strengthening them as media consumers and creators.
The transmission of disinformation is unique to human beings. The network impact of social media has extended the sources of knowledge and, as a result, the narratives we develop. As the establishment of truth-teller, social media has also eliminated an essential filter of journalists. Some politicians and opinion leaders have used this chance to wield influence.
"Youth today are highly engaged, and there are many accounts proves that youth is the key in reducing many issues of their country", Dr. Jonalou added. The media has the power to publicize these possibilities, engage with youth, and ultimately encourage good youth development. Given the prominence of media platforms among youth, understanding how to use them as a tool for facilitating young development is crucial. The media has a significant impact on societies that are democratic. Communication advancements, mainly via the internet, have increased community access to information.
The webinar was ended by the remarks given by College of Arts and Sciences Dean-Dr. Dariel A. Palmiano. In his message, he pinned the urgency of educating our youth on the use of digital media platforms. He mentioned the thin line separating what is true and what was erased because of the unlimited access to information, which we can consider a blessing and a curse. In this time that spreading of fake news is unavoidable, we hope that this webinar will create each participant a fact-finding detective eager for finding the truth, for nation-building, and responsible citizenship.
Page updated
Report abuse