BE MORE discerning and responsible in using technology and the internet.

This was the message given by journalists to Filipino youth during a recent summit against fake news.

At the PANAF Youth Creativity Festival held on April 29-30, seasoned journalists from the country’s top print and online media shared their thoughts on the importance of being responsible digital citizens amid the alarming proliferation of fake news. They also tackled the risks of going digital and how the youth can become ambassadors of truth.

About 5,000 participants — mostly young communicators and content creator — joined the virtual summit.

Telecom giant Globe — the festival’s organizer — said the summit aimed to educate the youth about the characteristics of fake news, how to spot and verify them and inform the students about the objective behind spreading fake news, who benefits from them, how they spread, the adverse effects of sharing false information and, most important, how to fight them.

“It is not just the spread of viruses that we must contain. We also need to contain and stop the proliferation of fake news or misinformation. The youth, who are now more exposed to social media and other online platforms, must be responsible stewards of truth and integrity of information,” Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications, said.

While Globe provides reliable and uninterrupted connectivity to its more than 80 million subscribers, it also takes on the responsibility of informing and warning people of the risks of the ever-innovating digital world.

Aside from the summit, Globe said it continues its Digital Thumbprint Program — a series of workshops designed to increase students’ knowledge of digital citizenship and cybersafety by taking a critical look at their online behavior and helping them develop insights into the influences of the online world and the choices they are making.