<
https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/enrique-dans/why-the-rise-of-online-disinformation-is-an-opportunity-to-change-how-we-teach-our-children-b997efc9a985>
"A story in the Australian edition of
The Guardian asks whether
disinformation should be studied in schools, in the same way as reading,
writing or maths, concluding that it is critical for the country's students to
develop the skills to discern fact from fiction if they are to stay safe and
well-informed.
What has become known as media literacy is undoubtedly much needed in today's
world. It is estimated that more than 70 countries have already have already
been subjected to organized disinformation campaigns that in some cases have
had disastrous consequences. In the United States, for example, anti-vaxxer
disinformation during the pandemic was responsible for higher death rates in
Republican-majority states than in those run by Democrats, while there have
been countless cases of electoral interference around the world, creating
entire industries devoted to disinformation.
In addition, the popularization of AI has made it easier than ever to spread
disinformation: we are simply not mentally prepared to deal with the post-truth
world. Virtually anyone can be fooled. At the same time, powerful interests are
at work to prevent research or to educate the public about the dangers of
disinformation: populist politicians work hard to divide the electorate,
spreading rumors and fake news, along with smear campaigns against their
opponents.
Which is why education has such a key role to play in preventing disinformation
and teaching the critical thinking needed to counter it. Fortunately, a few
countries, such as Finland, have been taking a proactive approach, with some
success. But while the country leads rankings that measure resilience against
disinformation, it has some advantages: on the one hand, its prestigious
educational system makes it easier for teachers to introduce the subject in
their classes, and on the other, Finnish is a minority language spoken by only
5.4 million people, which makes it easier to identify fake news written by
non-native speakers. In addition, Finland has developed critical thinking
literacy initiatives at all levels, from primary schools to open courses for
adults."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
