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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Gatchalian calls for better media literacy among Gen Zs

Gatchalian calls for better media literacy among Gen Zs

Published Feb 13, 2021 12:06 pm

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday, February 13, pressed for prompt efforts to boost information and media literacy among the country’s K to 12 learners after a recent study on the behavior of internet users revealed that Gen Zs -- or those born after 1996 -- are the most likely to share unverified news on social media platforms.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education committee, cited a study by global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed that 28 percent of Gen Zs admitted to sharing news with unverified information on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Research agency YouGov conducted the study in Australia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam in November, 2020.

Gatchalian said there is urgency in boosting the information and media literacy skills of the country’s learners, including their capacity to double-check, analyze, and responsibly share news items.

He cited, for instance, the persisting disinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming vaccination rollout. 

Gatchalian said that in a media-saturated world, media literacy should help students become wiser consumers of media as well as foster critical thinking which eventually can become second nature to them and will help them in many  areas as they grow older.

Media and Information Literacy is part of the core subjects in the K-12 Basic Education curriculum.

The study said there were more than 400 million internet users in Southeast Asia, making it known for having the most active social media users. 

It also said that among other age groups, 21 percent of Gen X (1965 to 1980) also share unverified news, followed by Boomers (1946 to 1964) at 19 percent, and Millennials (1981 to 1996), who scored lowest in this aspect, at 16 percent.

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of an "infodemic" or the rise of disinformation and misinformation about the pandemic.

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