Mobile Myanmar: The Impact of Social Media on Young People Living in Conflict-Affected Regions of Myanmar “For hot topics, I normally look at the comments people gave. Some say what is truth and some say biased point of views. They can help verify the news as the comments show different point of views. For example, when someone posts a picture, some people [post comments about] when this picture was taken and where you can find the information. I will look at the website and date of the news to check if the news is real or not.” Male, 18-22 years, Loikaw (Kayah State urban) “If the news repeatedly appears over the next [few] days, then I will believe it.” Female, 18-22 years, Kayan Christian, Dee Maw Hso (Kayah State urban) When asked how they respond to finding out that a news story is fake, the most common responses were to ignore or skip the post. However, some participants feel the need to take action such as unfollowing the account, telling their friends not to share fake news, or adding to the comments: “I argued but gave comments in positive way like ‘you shouldn’t attack people like this’” Male, 22 years, Kayan Buddhist, Loikaw (Kayah State urban) There was a mixed response from participants in the rural locations regarding their trust in posts on social media, but there was minimal reflection as to why or why not. Some participants noted that they believed what friends and family said about the news, some would only trust the larger organisations, and another said they believe print media more than Facebook. Others commented that people sharing fake news often have their own agendas (e.g., getting likes, shares and comments, promoting their own personal interests). However, there was a consensus of participant responses from the urban locations in that they do not trust what they see on social media. Instead, they trust their local news organisations. Participants responded that they also check with trusted friends, contacts based where the news if from, or people who have had the experience with or are from the particular cultural/religious background the news is about. “[I read a news story saying that] although Philippines have many graduates, they could not find jobs locally and have to work in other countries [i.e., Myanmar]. Instead of trusting them right away, I asked my teacher who has been to the Philippines.” Female, 19 years, Kayan Christian, Loikaw (Kayah State urban) Participants from both the rural and urban locations reported that fake news can impact on the attitudes and behaviours of people. For example, one rural participant noted that they will believe the fake news (or allow it to influence them) if they see it more than once. Another noted that the impacts of fake news can include hurting the dignity of people and causing anger and online fights. Participants from both locations noted that they can get agitated and confused about not knowing what to believe. Others noted that parents and the elderly are more susceptible to being fooled by fake news than young people. “Some parents are very trusting of others, especially elderly [who] easily trust the news and posts from Facebook. So when they ask me several times whether news [stories] are right or not, I got angry with those who posted them.” 17-19 years, Loikaw (Kayah State urban) Participants demonstrated that they understand how fake news impacts on other people emotionally, and they would want friends to consider the consequences of their actions on other people before sharing fake news. 39