Influence of Deliberate Online Falsehoods on People of Different Age Groups
Ministry of Digital Development and InformationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the impact of deliberate online falsehoods across age groups and the specific measures taken to enhance the digital literacy of seniors. Dr Wan Rizal inquired about age-based differences in susceptibility to misinformation and the targeted plans to assist seniors in combating online falsehoods. Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Dr Janil Puthucheary noted that a 2020 study showed all demographics, including highly literate youths, struggle to identify misinformation, necessitating national initiatives like the S.U.R.E. programme. He highlighted the work of the Singapore Digital Office, which has established a presence in 55 community hubs to provide seniors with in-person support from Digital Ambassadors. These efforts aim to equip seniors with the skills to use smartphones and applications safely while strengthening society’s overall resilience against misinformation.
Transcript
4 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the influence of online falsehood differs according to age groups; and (b) whether there are targeted plans to reach out to seniors in developing their digital and media literacy in combating deliberate online falsehoods.
The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Speaker, a study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies in 2020 found that more than two-thirds of the participants in the study, from all demographics, had difficulty differentiating misinformation from real news reports. While different age groups might have different media and information consumption habits, no age group is immune to misinformation. Even highly literate and savvy participants, including the young and those with tertiary education, were susceptible.
The study underscores the importance of targeted efforts to strengthen digital literacy among the different segments of our society. The Government and our partners have several initiatives aimed at this, such as the National Library Board's S.U.R.E. which stands for Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate programme, and the Media Literacy Council's Better Internet Campaign.
But we recognise that seniors, in particular, continue to face challenges navigating novel and unfamiliar digital technologies. Hence, in May 2020, we set up the Singapore Digital Office (SDO) to accelerate efforts to equip every individual, including our seniors, with digital tools and skills. The SDO has since established its presence in 55 community hubs at community centres and libraries island-wide, where Digital Ambassadors teach seniors how to use features on their smartphones, apps and so on. The expansion of this presence on the ground, providing support in-person, significantly increases our engagement with seniors.
The Government is fully committed to building on these efforts to help seniors participate meaningfully in digital life and keep themselves safe online.