Voices Of Youth

Teach S'poreans to discern fake news

I am heartened to know that new laws will be implemented to regulate Singapore's online space and stem the spread of fake news (Good news: Help in spotting fake news coming soon; June 21).

With the advent of social media, anyone can easily fabricate news and circulate it.

It is imperative that Singaporeans are educated early on how to independently verify the authenticity of online information.

In 2013, the National Library Board initiated the S.U.R.E (source, understand, research, evaluate) campaign to highlight the importance of information searching and discernment.

In many schools, students are taught to apply logic and verify the authority of sources. Cross checking information using different websites is a highly encouraged practice.

This knowledge and skill should be shared with the rest of the population.

With the knowledge of how to distinguish truth from falsehoods in news, we will be able to protect ourselves from fake news.

Lastly, we need to think twice before we share dubious articles. The less attention such articles receive, the less they will spread.

Ang Yi -Jean, 16, Secondary 4 student

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 11, 2017, with the headline Teach S'poreans to discern fake news. Subscribe