4 Summary of Social Media Observation (2021-2023) Recommendations l To ensure social media platforms serve as a marketplace for ideas or a unifier for society, l l l In addition to tackling misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, social media platforms should develop effective and creative mechanisms to identify and flag content that promotes violence and social division reflecting the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. Especially, while the nature of messages during the precoup period primarily targeted marginalized communities and contained hate speech, the post-coup messages predominantly focused on citizen mobilization, armed resistance, and political violence. Citizens should be empowered to access facts, engage in a healthy debate, and become active participants, not passive recipients of information. However, this participation should involve respectful dialogue. Prior to posting, consider replacing inflammatory language with respectful phrasing, ensuring all voices are heard. To ensure active participation in promoting more inclusive and accountable virtual platforms, citizens should be provided digital literacy and equal access to both the internet and information. Political leadership, key stakeholders, media, social influencers, and civil society organizations should take more proactive steps to combat misinformation and disinformation, rebuild public trust, foster peace and social harmony, and promote a democratic political process. They can achieve this by disseminating factual content, encouraging respectful dialogue, promoting democratic values, and demonstrating responsible communication on social media platforms.

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