Academics and industry experts advocate that the access, reciprocity and peer-to-peer communication afforded by digital technologies create a participatory culture. In such a culture, individuals from different walks of life converge online, pool their resources together and engage in collective production of media content.
During natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami disasters in Japan and Indonesia, many shared instant updates through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, catalysing relief efforts that transcended national boundaries. In many ways, information-sharing via the Internet has made us richer when it comes to knowledge acquisition, making gains in social capital and increased civic consciousness.
However, the dark side of information-sharing rears up whenever individuals disseminate false information and propagate baseless claims. The witch-hunting that took place immediately after the Boston bombing, which the mainstream media fell prey to, highlights the potential dangers and ethical issues of digital information-sharing. In Singapore, witch-hunting after a tragic incident involving two young boys earlier this year led to false accusations against the foreigners living amidst us. The online circulation of graphic images of the victims gave rise to concerns over the ethics of digital information-sharing.
The dangers of digital information-sharing are particularly stark when it comes to children and teenagers. According to the UK’s Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet, there are specific risks to children’s safety associated with social media. These risks include bullying, harassment, theft of personal information, sexual grooming, and racist attacks.
In spite of the risks, research has shown that technology users are not only aware of the peril, but weigh trade-offs and exercise choice and strategy when sharing information online.
The Institute of Policy Studies is organising a seminar to examine the trends, uses and gratifications which drive digital information-sharing. Three speakers will present findings from their research and practice in this field. The seminar will also examine the implications for media policy and law, such as: (i) Is there a need to draw tighter guidelines to protect individuals’ privacy? (ii) Should boundaries be drawn for digital information-sharing, and if yes, what should they be? (iii) Other than regulation, are there other solutions which can alleviate the negative effects of digital information-sharing? (v) What are the implications for media literacy programmes?
The seminar will bring together government officials, private and people sector leaders, and academics to discuss above and related issues.
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