Mobile Myanmar: The Impact of Social Media on Young People Living in Conflict-Affected Regions of Myanmar “Yes, I think so. Because we love our ethnicity so much. So when someone starts to attack our ethnicity, many of us do not think but respond with hatred first. Some will simply share those fake news stories just because it is shared by one of us. They do not think anymore.” Male, 20 years, Rakhine Buddhist, Sittwe (Rakhine State urban) “I shared a post that said a village person (Taw Thar) is not allowed to sit on a YBS bus. When my friends who are teachers saw this, they told me that this is fake information and only photoshopped.” Female, 18 years, Kaman Muslim, Basara (Rakhine State IDP) When asked if there are individuals or influencers that young people seem to trust, the most common responses were friends, relatives, religious leaders or youth leaders. “They trust their parents and follow what their parents tell them. Before we lived together with Rakhine people and we trusted each other. I went to them and they also came to me and we could work together. Now the young people trust only their parents. There are no leaders they trust.” Female, 52 years, Rohingya Muslim, Basara (Rakhine State IDP) “There are youth leaders in this village and young people trust in them.” Female, 32 years, Kayah Buddhist, Ve Seh Ku village (Kayah State rural) Of the few specific individuals mentioned, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was identified as a trustworthy person by young people and adults from every location except for Muslim IDPs. Pro-Rakhine activists such as Aye Maung and Nyo Htun Aung (Arakan Army Vice-Chief of Staff) were considered trustworthy by Rakhine Urban interviewees, while Rohingya activists Maung Zarni and Ro Nay San Lwin were identified as trusted sources for Muslim IDP interviewees, along with The Daily News reporter Ko Thein Shwe. “Depends on the news and its ethnicity. For example, with regards to the nation’s media news, many of the young people may trust what Daw Aung San Su Kyi said. If it is about Rakhine news, young people will believe Col. Nyo Htun Aung (ViceChief of Staff, The Arakan Army). They have their own page and many of the Rakhine people will believe them.” Male, 19 years, Rakhine Buddhist, Sittwe (Rakhine State urban) “There are some young people who are interested in the issue of conflict and they will follow the individuals who talked about conflict resolution. The young people from this community will read follow posts by figures like Maung Zarni and Ro Nay San Lwin. They also follow former MPs and read what they posted and shared. Also, in relating to the current conflict, some young people are interested in conflict resolution that are being discussed by UN and UNSC, so they will watch live video of their meetings.” Male, 29 years, Rohingya Muslim, Basara (Rakhine State IDP) Hate speech There was variation in the experiences of hate speech on social media between regions. Most Urban and IDP respondents had come across hate speech on social media, while many Kayah Rural respondents had not. Across all demographics, almost all hate speech was regarding issues of religion and/or race, with anti-Muslim hate speech the most commonly identified. Some respondents claimed that third parties are trying to ignite tensions between different ethnic groups. 67