News Desk
ISLAMABAD (16 January 2024): A recent research study sheds light on the growing apprehension among Pakistani university students regarding the impact of online disinformation on society, particularly its potential threat to elections and democracy.
Published by media watchdog organization Freedom Network and the Coalition Against Disinformation (CAD), the study titled “Perceptions and Impact of Disinformation on Pakistani Youth: How University Students Understand Disinformation” involved collaborative efforts from mass communication and media departments across 10 Pakistani public and private universities, all voluntary founding members of CAD.
According to the national survey conducted on 1,043 students, a significant 63% reported encountering some form of online disinformation on a daily basis. The majority (81%) identified social media platforms as the primary breeding grounds for disinformation, with Facebook singled out as the most vulnerable social network for false messages by approximately 70% of respondents.In terms of perceptions, a striking 62% of students believe that online disinformation is deliberately propagated to manipulate public opinion, potentially leading to the dissemination of false beliefs. Moreover, a concerning 62% of students see online disinformation as a direct threat to democracy and elections.The study also delved into trust dynamics, revealing that around half of the surveyed youth frequently trust information from traditional news organizations and government websites. However, trust in information from vloggers and celebrity influencers was mostly occasional.
Notably, 60% of students admitted to being more likely to engage with content originating from sources they trust.The research, however, raised alarms about the limited efforts made by students to fact-check the information they encounter online. Less than 40% claimed to fact-check regularly, with a third of students unaware of fact-checking tools. Shockingly, 41% had never consulted professional fact-checking websites to debunk viral false claims.
Iqbal Khattak, Executive director of Freedom Network and manager of the Coalition, expressed concern over the findings, emphasizing that despite youth awareness about false messages, their ability to protect against the harmful effects of online disinformation remains limited.
The study’s recommendations include the introduction of media literacy programs at universities, the integration of fact-checking modules into higher education curricula, and national media literacy campaigns to educate citizens of all ages about source verification and the critical use of online information.
Khattak urged key stakeholders, including the Election Commission of Pakistan, political parties, the state, and civil society, to take heed of the study’s insights to address challenges to trust in media, political communication, and upcoming national events such as the scheduled elections in February.
