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Mobile Myanmar: The Impact of Social Media on Young People Living in Conflict-Affected Regions of Myanmar CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Summary of key findings...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 General usage ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Online safety ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Fake news and propaganda ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Hate speech....................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Online harassment........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Sharing behaviours ........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Impact on daily lives and psychological well-being ................................................................................................................... 9 Impact on society ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Key issues and recommendations ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Recommendations for Government ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Recommendations for Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) .................................................................................... 10 Recommendations for academic researchers ......................................................................................................................... 11 Recommendations for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other local actors ...................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 What are we trying to understand? ............................................................................................................................................... 13 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Useful statistics on social media use and hate speech in Myanmar ........................................................................................ 14 Recent Myanmar studies of particular relevance to the scoping study ................................................................................. 14 Relevant academic work on social media use in Myanmar ....................................................................................................... 17 Relevant studies from outside Myanmar ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Existing Initiatives ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Panzagar / ‘Flower Speech’ .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 ‘Think Before You Trust’ – Burma Monitor ........................................................................................................................... 20 Myanmar ICT for Development Organisation (MIDO) ....................................................................................................... 20 The Impact of Freedom of Expression, Religion and Belief: Measuring results through online initiatives ............... 20 BACKGROUND CONTEXT ON FOCUS AREAS ....................................................................................................................... 21 Rakhine State – key demographic, conflict, and other relevant information ....................................................................... 21 Kayah State – key demographic, conflict, and other relevant information ........................................................................... 22 METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Primary research questions .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 General usage ................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Online safety ................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Fake news and propaganda .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 3

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Mobile Myanmar: The impact of social media on young people in conflict-affected regions of Myanmar

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English

Topic

Hate Speech
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility

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Save the Children
The University of Sydney

Date Published: Nov 1, 2019

Abstract: The advent of social media in Myanmar following the transition towards civilian rule announced in 2011 has given young people an important new platform for civic engagement and expression, and access to information and knowledge. But while young people are highly engaged with social media and its potential to bring benefits to their daily lives, this research reveals a number of alarming trends. Emerging new dangers such as online sexual harassment and hate speech are widespread and deeply concerning, and threaten to impact the safety and participation of girls and minority groups. Most young people lack the digital citizenship skills required to protect themselves from the online dangers and emotional and mental health impacts of social media highlighted in this report. The study finds evidence that young people across Myanmar suffer from ‘hate speech fatigue’, often exacerbated by repeat exposure to fake news and propaganda targeting specific communities. Over time, this effect limits young Myanmar users’ willingness to seek out and engage with reporting and blocking functions that may help combat fake news and hate speech online. Understanding the impact of social media on social and political discourse in Myanmar is of urgent, critical importance. While the young people in this study saw great potential for social media to increase empathy and understanding between different groups, the struggle to curb anti-Muslim hate speech in particular, and the structural and violent oppression it begets, is still very real. As recent global events have shown, democratic processes are especially vulnerable to disinformation campaigns and the spread of fake news and hate speech. Myanmar’s democracy is still new, and with elections upcoming in 2020, social media could very well play a role in shifting voter attitudes, especially among young people.

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Mobile Myanmar: The impact of social media on young people in conflict-affected regions of Myanmar

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