Name: Malika Zunaira Mehmood
Class: IG-II Girls
Global Perspectives
Individual Report
Topic: Digital World
Question: How does the information on social media affect the reliability of our
knowledge?
Introduction
The inspiration for this topic is an essay we had to write during English class. The essay
discussed the topic of the impact of digital technology on the world, and how it has affected the
way people get information. Several examples were shared in the essay in order to point out the
advantages and disadvantages of how digital world changed the way people communicate
nowadays.
The digital world consists of numerous astounding technologies that if you were to explain it to a
person living a hundred years ago, they wouldn't believe you! Visual communication through
video calls, image-based expressions and the evolution of digital language has introduced new
dimensions to the way we convey our thoughts and emotions. As Jeanne W. Ross of MIT
Sloan’s Center for Information Systems Research once said:
"Clearly, the thing that's transforming is not the technology - it's the technology that is
transforming you."
The main idea behind the question "How does the information on social media affect the
reliability of our knowledge?" is that social media can impact what we know. While it gives us a
lot of information quickly, some of it may not be true. People share things without checking if
they're right. This can lead to false ideas spreading and influencing what we think we know. So,
we need to be careful and think critically about the information we get from social media to have
accurate knowledge. A very accurate statistic on Pew Research Centre shows us that in most
countries, in-person discussions are seen as more valuable for keeping up with political news
than social media.
The issue
The issue which I’ll be discussing regarding the question of this report is the spread of false and
misleading information. Due to the ease of sharing information online and the rapid spread of
that information through social media, inaccurate or purposefully misleading content has
increased. This can potentially harm the general public's views. It shows how important it is to
know about media and think carefully in today's tech world.
According to Forbes, a study conducted shows that Facebook is by far the worst perpetrator
when it comes to spreading fake news. The statistic shown below shows us the outcome of the
study:
The issue of misinformation has become dominant with the rise of social media, attracting
scholarly attention, particularly after the 2016 USA Presidential election, when misinformation
apparently influenced the election results. The word 'misinformation' was listed as one of the
global risks by the World Economic Forum. A similar term that is popular and confusing along
with misinformation is 'disinformation'. It is defined as the information that is fake or misleading,
and unlike misinformation, spreads intentionally.
A research done by NewsWise from The National Literacy Trust shows around 4 in 10 children
aged 9-16 said they experienced the feeling of ‘being unsure about whether what I see is true’.
This was the second most common experience after ‘spending too much time online’. The effect
is greater for young people, who frequently use social media actively. In these early years, they
shape their worldviews and learn about the workings of society. During this crucial time, being
exposed to misleading information might have long-lasting consequences, changing their
viewpoints and making them less likely to trust reliable sources.
A reason why false news even spread in the first place is because the users lack the critical
thinking skills necessary for discerning truth from falsehood or because their strong political
beliefs skew their judgment. The University Of South Carolina conducted a study of more than
2,400 Facebook users. Just 15% of the most habitual news sharers in the research were
responsible for spreading about 30% to 40% of the fake news.
Perspectives
Global perspective: United Kingdom
According to the guardian, a wave of artificial intelligence-driven misinformation and
disinformation that could influence key looming elections poses the biggest short-term threat to
the global economy, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said.
In a deeply gloomy assessment, the body that convenes its annual meeting in Davos next week
expressed concern that politics could be disrupted by the spread of false information, potentially
leading to riots, strikes and crackdowns on dissent from governments.
Elections are taking place this year in countries that represent 60% of global GDP, including
Britain, the US, the EU and India, and the WEF said the nexus between falsified information and
societal unrest would take centre stage during campaigns.
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, while disinformation is deliberately false
content, which can be used to spread propaganda and sow fear and suspicion.
National/Local perspective: India
The digital age has completely changed the way that information is swapped in India. Due to the
fact that the number of people using the internet is increasing at a rapid pace, many people now
primarily get their news and information from Facebook and WhatsApp. Fake news and
misinformation can spread swiftly in this environment, affecting the accuracy of knowledge. For
instance, during the COVID-19 epidemic, false data regarding cures and treatments was
extensively propagated on social media, impacting public health activities. Times of India shares
that a University student in India found a ‘cure’ for COVID-19 by preparing a home remedy
which was approved by WHO (World Health Organization). Later the message was exposed to
be fake! As much as we would like to believe that something like this is true, till date, no cure or
treatment, especially home remedy has been found to be effective in rooting out the virus.
Future scenarios and solutions
With the rise of AI on social media, we can only expect this type of technology to increase in its
advancement. According to the Reportsanddata, the global artificial intelligence in social media
market size was valued at USD 2.68 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach a value of USD
27.67 Billion in 2032 and register a revenue CAGR of 28% during the forecast period.
Despite the risks, social media platforms can offer us valuable opportunities to develop digital
literacy skills and build a good digital footprint. This can only be done if the consumer is using
the platforms in the correct manner. Internet Matters emphasizes the importance of digital
literacy for young people as it is important for children and young people to learn how to
communicate online to prepare them for future opportunities in the workplace and support them
in interacting with friends and family. Using social media platforms can help them develop digital
literacy in various areas.
A future solution for helping people to stay away from social media misinformation is to raise
awareness on the topic of media literacy and helping people with spotting misinformation on
social media. The UK Government’s strategy is intended to help young people spot online
disinformation amid a wider effort to improve media literacy and make the internet safer for
children. Focus areas will be data and privacy, the online environment; information
consumption; online consequences, and online engagement. The strategy’s objective is to
support organisations to undertake media literacy activity in a more coordinated, wide-reaching,
and high-quality way. The strategy will involve training teachers, library staff, youth workers, and
carers to help young people critically analyse the content they consume. According toy the
National Literacy Trust research, just 2% of children have developed sufficient critical-thinking
skills to spot disinformation online. Media Smart is an organisation which is taking part in this
campaign alongside other organisations as a step to ensuring all young people are media
literate.
A solution which the Canadian government introduced against misinformation online is
something that needs to be done more often, especially nowadays. According to Poynter,
Canada announced it was giving $7 million to projects aimed at increasing public awareness of
misinformation online.
Even the UN (United Nation) National Assembly welcomed the efforts of the Secretary-General
to promote international cooperation in countering disinformation. In response to that, the
Secretary-General has submitted a report based on information and best practices shared by
States, UN entities and others on countering disinformation.
We should raise awareness for governments to take action against these false information.
There are solid justifications for governments to combat false and misleading information. One
of the main advantages is the maintenance of the trust of the public. Governments maintain the
confidence of the public and establish their authority when they actively combat misinformation
about elections, public health, and other important topics. Furthermore, correcting disinformation
keeps society stable and united by stopping the spread of stories that can cause anxiety or
confusion. Governments may improve the public's understanding and awareness and empower
citizens to make well-informed decisions by providing correct information. In addition, combating
disinformation is essential to maintaining democratic procedures since it might compromise the
credibility of democratic institutions and elections.
Personal response
Based on the research I performed for this report, I have more clarity understanding why it is so
important to always double check the information we get from social media. Before starting the
research process, I was aware of basic disadvantages of social media, such as, misinformation
and filter bubbles. After this process, now I can confidently say that I am much more educated
about the dangers of misinformation on social media and am also going to consider using social
media for its benefits starting from now. It also made me realise to consider the advantages of
social media, for example, the war going on in Gaza. Millions of people from around the world
have declared their solidarity with Palestine and showed their support through social media.
Social media is the #1 best tool we can use nowadays to raise awareness on certain topics. And
we can truly see this happen with the war that is happening in Gaza.
But we should also be careful with the way we use social media and how often we use as it is
important to also spend time with friends and family. According to Oberlo, statistics show that an
average of two hours and 25 minutes are spent per day per person on social media. For some
people, these numbers go higher. Putting a focus on allowing people—especially the younger
generation—to develop digital literacy abilities and recognize false information is an important
first step in building an honest and knowledgeable society.
Conclusion
To summarise my report, my research has been eye-opening in its study of the effects of digital
technology on how we consume information and the problems caused by misinformation.
Originating from an English class essay, the research trip uncovered the groundbreaking
possibilities of the internet, as quoted by Jeanne W. Ross in the introduction of this report. The
report focused on social media and highlighted its dual nature: it can be a powerful tool for
raising global awareness, as seen by the examples of solidarity during the Gaza conflict, but it
also carries concerns, such as filter bubbles and misinformation.
This report dove into the types of information that is available on social media and how it can
affect the way a person views something. Furthermore, the report also took the disadvantages
and advantages of these informations into consideration. I also made sure to take information
from websites that were reliable and double checked the data to make sure it was authentic.
Real-world examples from the UK and India underscored the global implications. In the future,
the development of AI will bring both possibilities and difficulties. In order to successfully
navigate the complicated digital ecosystem, solutions like international cooperation and media
literacy efforts have emerged as critical. For me, this study has made me more conscious of the
complexities of social media and has highlighted the importance of practicing caution when
consuming information that may be false.
