Hence the reason why we should keep misinformation away and educate those who are misinformed.
The Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) has found out that about 79% of Filipinos rely on social media sites like Facebook for the latest updates and news.
The research was made in cooperation with Singapore-based research firm Rakuten Insight. ASoG’s research involved 2000 respondents answering an unbiased and fair survey that occurred from October 27th until November 12th. These 2000 respondents were chosen through random sampling from a control of 315,000 individuals. These individuals took part in Rakuten’s online panel. The sample distribution was based on a 2015 consensus.
Aside from the 79% who got their news on social media, among those 2000 respondents, 66% said that they get their news source on television, 57% on YouTube, and 54% from news websites.
Project Research Manager Prof. Ma. Rosel San Pascual commented on the research.
“We wish to remind the public that it is not enough to get political news from your Facebook feed. The habit of actively seeking news from a variety of credible sources is very important to increase your understanding of politics and level of confidence in participating in political affairs,” Project Research Manager and Associate Professor Ma. Rosel San Pascual said.
The study emphasized that reading through the entire story as well as checking the credibility and verifiability of a Facebook post are also highly important. San Pascual noted that many of these videos and photos are clickbaity and can easily be manipulated.
“Being properly informed will give you that feeling of empowerment, that reinforcement that you actually have the capacity to create the change that you want. Not just when you cast your vote in your ballot, but in everyday practice of being involved in political affairs,” San Pascual said.
Those who do not rely on Facebook said that they understand better when it comes to verifiable news sources, especially on the political side. In addition, those who do not rely on Facebook for updates said they are more confident in political debates and discussions.
“Those who are not reliant on their Facebook feed for news have a greater variety of sources of news for politics, government, and governance. They are proactively seeking news, they do not just depend on random news exposure on their Facebook feed [and] they also encounter news from other sources. Thus, they are still informed even if they are not exposed on news from Facebook,” San Pascual explained.
In a nutshell, the researchers reminded everyone to verify posts on social media before making a judgement, as they can easily be manipulated.
Source: Business Mirror
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