Around half of respondents to a survey believed at least one of 15 instances of false information on social media after seeing or hearing about it, the Japanese government’s first-ever survey on public awareness of misinformation showed Tuesday.
With the spread of fake news, data and comments becoming a serious problem, the government is eager to accelerate efforts to improve media literacy, as people are often prone to believe unsourced information presented online. Among the respondents, 47.7 percent were misled.
The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, examined false claims such as the idea that the mass beaching of sardines or whales signals an impending earthquake or results from seismic activity.
One in four who came across such information went on to spread it further by telling family, friends or posting on social media, with 27.1 percent saying they found the content “surprising” and over 20 percent describing it as “interesting” or “helpful to others.”
Internal affairs minister Seiichiro Murakami told reporters that the survey “has highlighted the importance of measures to enhance (media) literacy,” with his ministry urging people to be skeptical and to check the veracity of information before spreading it.
The outcome of the latest survey showed 90 percent of respondents said they recognized the necessity of media and information literacy, but many had not taken any steps to improve their understanding.
The survey was carried out online between March and April, targeting 2,820 people aged 15 or older across the country.
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AloJapan.com