Exploring Reliability Across Different Worlds

同志社国際高等学校２年

元

めり

In our daily lives, we find ourselves immersed in an ocean of information.
smartphones

andcomputersatourfingertips,

wehaveinformation from around the world through the internet.

unprecedented

With

accesstoHowever, have you everconsidered how this sea of information has transformed and the growing challenge to its
reliability?
Over a remarkably short period, access to information through the Internet has

英語become incredibly convenient, greatly enhancing learning, research, and communication.
Information sharing has increased with social media platforms standing out as rapid
Videos captured by individuals and social media

posts can instantly spread across the globe.
referencetheseuser-generated

contents,

Furthermore, global media increasingly

amplifying

thespeedofdissemination.

Consequently, they have become more immediate sources of information for important
events and urgent situations than traditional media such as newspapers, television, andradio.

These experiences led me to believe that the world’s information was right at ourfingertips.
However, the experiences from my summer study abroad in the United States thisyear provided me with a fresh perspective and fundamentally altered my perception of theworld of information.

In the sociology class I attended, YouTube videos were used aspart of the course materials, and pre-class preparation was required.

One day, a Chinese

friend from the same class expressed frustration that these materials would become
inaccessible upon her return to China.

Initially, I didn’t understand the significance, but Isoon learned that the Chinese government imposes strict restrictions on information
access, limiting access to many international web services.

Google Search, YouTube,Twitter, Facebook, and other services we routinely use in Japan are all blocked.
According to Freedom House’s report, conditions for internet users in China remained
profoundly oppressive and confirmed the country’s status as the world’s worst abuser ofinternet freedom for the eighth consecutive year in their 2022 assessment.

These

restrictions result in delayed information dissemination and reduced timeliness, making it
challenging to access specific information.

These facts indicate that there exists a

significantly different world of information from what I had believed so far.

Realizing thepresence of varied information environments, I began to explore how information istransmitted and affected by constraints, with a particular focus on the critical issue ofinformation reliability.

－高校生

channels for spreading information.

In an unconstrained environment, information spreads widely, allowing anyone todisseminate it.

However, the reliability of information becomes a significant concern as it

is often shared without confirming its accuracy or source, increasing the risk of thespread of fake news and misinformation.

For example, misinformation that consuming

highly concentrated alcohol could disinfect the body and kill the virus was spread indifferent parts of the world in 2020. Following this, approximately 800 people died, while 5,876
were hospitalized after drinking methanol as a cure for the coronavirus.
such an event occur?

So, why did

Research published in Nature by the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology reveals that fake news spreads faster and more widely when it’s false.
study provides several approaches to quantify this phenomenon.

TheFor example, false news

stories have a 70 percent higher likelihood of being retweeted than true stories.

It alsotakes approximately six times longer for true stories to reach 1,500 people in comparison
to false stories reaching the same number of people.

英語高校生－If something is too strange, weimmediately realize it’s a fake.

However, when some truth is mixed in, we tend toperceive it all as the truth.

Therefore, it is evident that fact-checking and source

verification are imperative to maintain information reliability.
In environments with restricted information access, government constraints influence
information reliability.

With governments imposing limitations on information andrestricting access to specific sources, information is tightly controlled, and information that
doesn’t align with the government’s position or regulations is suppressed.

This constraint

leads to a decrease in information reliability and the suppression of certain perspectives
and information.

However, this environment has nurtured valuable skills.

these abilities during a collaborative assignment with a Chinese classmate.

I observed

As I compiled

information based on sources I found, she consistently scrutinized the information,questioning who wrote it, when, and for what purpose.

She had developed the ability toevaluate information reliability, given the presence of government information control inher country.

This indicates that as internet regulations tighten, people become morecautious in verifying information and seeking reliable sources.
In this way, constrained and unconstrained environments each have distinct aspects
regarding the flow and reliability of information.

However, one commonality between

these environments is the necessity to always question and verify information. Confirming
thesource,credibility,andaccuracy

ofinformation

andconsidering

information holds real value is crucial in our decision-making processes.

whethertheThrough thisexploration, I became acutely aware of the risk of unquestioningly utilizing information.
In conclusion, the lesson I’ve learned is that in the sea of information, we need totake on the role of new-age captains.

Captains gather the necessary information for asafe journey, making decisions about the ship’s course and speed.

In the realm ofinformation, we must be vigilant, verify, and choose the right course.

Moreover, weshould not only passively consume information but also realize that we can actively shapeinformation and influence others.

To fulfill this new captain’s role, we must explore newtools and approaches to ensure information reliability.

Improving digital literacy, seeking

transparency in information sources, and supporting credible information sources areefforts that can enhance information reliability and improve the entire informationenvironment.

By embracing this role, we can navigate the sea of information more safely

and meaningfully and make proper decisions.

References:Md Saiful Islam, Tonmoy Sarkar, Sazzad Hossain Khan, Abu-Hena Mostofa Kamal, S.
M.

Murshid Hasan, Alamgir Kabir, Dalia Yeasmin, Mohammad Ariful Islam, Kamal

Ibne Amin Chowdhury, Kazi Selim Anwar, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, and Holly Seale.
COVID-19-Related Infodemic and Its Impact on Public Health: A Global Social MediaAnalysis.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2020, https://www.ajtmh.org/
view/journals/tpmd/103/4/article-p1621.xml.

Ball, Philip. ‘News’ spreads faster and more widely when it’s false.
2018, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02934-x.

Nature, 8 Mar.

英語

Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

FREEDOM ON THE NET 2022.

Freedom House, 2022, https://freedomhouse.org/

country/china/freedom-net/2022 Accessed 1 Sep. 2023.

高校生－