Seeing fakes: Assessing digital literacy and misinformation resistance in Myanmar looks at how diverse populations in Myanmar interpret, verify, and respond to online information, revealing gaps in digital literacy and the risks of misinformation under authoritarian digital governance.
By Intellectum Research Consortium
MYANMAR DIGITAL RESEARCH 17
Abstract
The proliferation of digital misinformation on the Myanmar online space, particularly on proregime Telegram channels, raises questions about digital literacy and the ability of a population to counter misguiding content. This study explores the relationship between digital literacy levels and the capacity to identify and mitigate misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, and hate speech. Additionally, it examines the impact of demographic factors such as age, education, occupation, and gender on digital literacy, as well as the role of digital literacy training in enhancing misinformation resilience. We found a positive and statistically significant association between higher digital literacy and better misinformation identification. The findings indicate that individuals with higher digital literacy are better equipped to detect and challenge misinformation. We also found that age and education levels strongly predict the levels of digital literacy, but that gender and occupation do not exhibit a significant effect. In addition, our results reveal that individuals who had been exposed to some sort of digital literacy training appeared better equipped to fight back. Furthermore, individuals who have participated in digital literacy or media awareness training exhibit a greater ability to counter misinformation, emphasizing the importance of structured learning interventions. Policymakers and educators should focus on developing accessible, contextually relevant training programs tailored to diverse populations. Future research should explore longitudinal effects of digital literacy education and assess how specific training methodologies impact misinformation resilience over time. This paper follows our January 2024 report Dangerous Channels on the extent and patterns of misinformation and hate speech on military-supporting Telegram channels in Myanmar.
Keywords: misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, Telegram, 2021 coup, Myanmar, digital security, digital safety, digital literacy, education
This Myanmar Digital Research paper was produced for the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative, with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with support from The SecDev Foundation. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of either organization.
Over the next two years, over twenty papers in the Myanmar Digital Research series will have researchers within and in the Myanmar diaspora exploring how the digital world is shaping their social, political and economic crisis, bringing new insights into issues facing Myanmar citizens. See below for others available now.