This article discusses the calls for schools to discuss the issue of fake news with children, and how this topic would be coming up in the international pisa tests in the near future. The director for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's education has stated that he wants teenagers to look beyond the social media "echo chamber", where they are more likely to come across and hear views like their own thus preventing them from interacting with other viewpoints. According to the article schools need to equip young people with the skills needed to navigate the digital world, with an increase in unreliable claims on social media and falsified news. Things have changed greatly from the past, people would usually go to encyclopedias for information but in the present day instead go to Facebook or news websites which requires the skill of being able to evaluate what is reliable. Referring to Facebook, the director also argues how algorithms tend to relate people to people who are similar, rather than creating spaces for people to discuss debate and find common ground.
I agree with the view held by the director as even adults are prone to fall for fake news, which is a growing issue. Alongside the issue of fake news, many people are using the internet more and more to get information which can mean more are at risk of coming across false information. I believe more people should be made aware of this whether it is through education or other means.
This article discusses the calls from Downing street for social media sites such as Facebook to do more on tackling extremist content online. The prime minister’s spokesman has stated that firms such as Facebook and Google should do more to remove inflammatory material from the web and that it was up to them to respond to public concern. The spokesman told journalists that “Social media companies have a responsibility when it comes to making sure this material is not disseminated and we have been clear repeatedly that we think that they can and must do more,”. Some could argue highlights the governments view that it should actually be the firms who tackle issues online, rather than the government themselves. After the recent London attacks there has been increasing concern about the easy access towards extremist and dangerous content online which can have an impact on the vulnerable.
I believe that more should be done by these firms as they are unfortunately often the source of extremist and dangerous content that can be a threat to the public. The fact that so many people also use Facebook emphasises on the fact that anyone can simply be radicalised. However, I disagree with the fact that the government is fully implementing the responsibility towards social media companies, as they also should attempt to ensure that going online is safe for all rather than just blaming the internet and websites such as Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment