To create a confident, brave, patriotic generation in the 4.0 era

According to Dr. Trinh Le Anh, “patriotism 4.0” is not measured by noise, but by standard. (Photo courtesy)

That is the opinion of Dr. Trinh Le Anh, Faculty of Tourism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU with The Gioi and Viet Nam Newspaper about equipping "vaccine for youth" in the fight against misinformation in cyberspace.

Equipping young people with "resistance" to bad, toxic news

In your opinion, what should agencies, departments and sectors do so that political , ethical and lifestyle education does not become dry, but is truly attractive and goes deep into the minds of union members and youth?

I often tell students: “Politics and ethics are like precious books. If they are just left on the shelf, they will be covered with dust, but if you open them and tell them in everyday language, they will become living luggage.” Today's youth grow up with TikTok, YouTube Shorts, podcasts…

If we still give a 90-minute lecture full of resolutions and slogans, you will surely nod your heads, but they will be sleepy nods. Instead, let’s turn seemingly big things into very “human” and very close stories: A short video about a navy soldier in Truong Sa, a student play about the spirit of “sharing the same fate”, or an online campaign created by young people themselves.

It is important to show young people that politics and morality are not something far away, but rather how we choose to live every day: knowing how to queue in a civilized manner, knowing how to share difficulties with the community, knowing how to be proud when saying “I am Vietnamese”. When these values are told in modern language, with images that touch emotions, I believe that education will not only “absorb” but also become a driving force that urges young people to act.

In the context of the current information explosion, strengthening the “resistance” of young people to bad and toxic information is extremely necessary. Do you have any specific advice for young people to recognize and neutralize color revolution plots on social networks, to avoid being “led by the nose” or “following” the crowd?

We live in a world where information travels fast. Good news rarely goes viral, while bad news can become a storm overnight. So, if I were to give advice, I would tell young people something very simple: Think of information acquisition skills as a vaccination.

Vaccines help the body resist disease, while “information vaccines” help each person be able to recognize and resist fake news. The way to get this vaccine is not complicated: Always ask who posted this news, what is the purpose, whether the data has a source, and it is best to try to compare at least two different sources.

"Patriotism 4.0 is not measured by noise, but by standard: Standard in verification, standard in sharing, standard in responsible attitude. Each correct report, each blocked scam link, each verified request for help is a soft shield to protect the community. When combined, it creates a very Vietnamese digital citizen culture."

Before you hit the share button, pause for a moment, because just one thoughtless click can turn you from a victim to an accomplice. The most important thing is to keep your cool. Don’t “follow the crowd” just because you see a lot of likes or comments.

Young people can absolutely turn social networks into a place to spread positive energy, instead of becoming a “fertile ground” for those who spread panic. A careful click not only protects you, but also contributes to maintaining the peace of the community.

Images of the parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

One of the important solutions is to build and promote the role of the official information network. What do we need to do to make these information channels more attractive and closer to young people, instead of just being propaganda news, in your opinion?

In my opinion, the problem is not that young people are bored with mainstream information, but how we tell stories. A news story that starts with a “summary conference” will have a hard time competing with a lively 30-second TikTok clip. What we need is not to change the truth, but to change the way we tell the truth. Mainstream information must go to the “address” that young people often visit: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and must speak their “language”: Short, rich in images, full of emotions.

One of the convincing examples is the excellent performance of Nhan Dan Newspaper during the A80th Anniversary: From a special supplement with 80 outstanding events, to "digital gifts" such as AR/VR experiences at the Independence Monument, Spotify codes to listen to the Declaration of Independence , or the "Fatherland in the Heart" concert at My Dinh that spread strongly on social networks. Even the reports about the "female information warriors" practicing in the rain and sun also became a stormy highlight, because it touched natural emotions and admiration.

"It is important to show young people that politics and ethics are not something far away, but rather how we choose to live every day: knowing how to queue in a civilized manner, knowing how to share difficulties with the community, knowing how to be proud when saying 'I am Vietnamese'. When these values are told in modern language, with images that touch emotions, education will become the driving force that urges young people to act."

Or as I know, The World and Vietnam Newspaper has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Center for Indian Studies (Institute of Politics and International Relations, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics) to produce specialized publications that are both academic and communication in nature, helping foreign affairs stories not only be policy statements, but also stories with depth, with experts, with realistic voices...

These examples show that when mainstream information is made with the art of storytelling, it is no longer a “word from above” but becomes a voice of friends, easy to listen to, easy to believe and easy to share. I believe that if we continue to expand the participation of young people, turning them into companion “creators”, mainstream channels will not only be “channels for knowing”, but truly become “channels for loving”.

Dr. Trinh Le Anh believes that it is necessary to instill in young people confidence and love for the Fatherland from small things. (Photo: NVCC)

Patriotism in the 4.0 era from simple things

Patriotism among young people in the 4.0 era is expressed in many ways, not only on social networks. Can you share some stories and examples of how young people have contributed to protecting the Fatherland, especially in the fight against misinformation on the internet?

I think “patriotism 4.0” often comes from very small and very quiet things: A timely report of fake news, a scam link blocked in time, or a request for help verified and successfully connected during the epidemic season. Those actions are not noisy, but contribute to keeping peace on the “digital border” every day.

During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of students joined Zalo Connect and SOSMap, helping to verify and connect hundreds of thousands of requests for help, while filtering out fabricated and fraudulent information. Another group of young engineers built an Anti-Fraud project, creating a utility to identify fraudulent websites, which has so far protected tens of thousands of users from fake news and online scams. Recently, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union also signed a 5-year agreement with TikTok to train young people in responding to toxic content, turning them into "immune cells" in cyberspace.

In addition, the Vietnam Fake News Handling Center has opened a channel for people, especially many young people, to actively participate in sending, monitoring and spreading verification results, helping to prevent the spread of fake news. And we cannot forget the student volunteers at the 31st SEA Games, when the clips and images they created themselves spread a friendly and hospitable Vietnam, while subtly refuting distorted arguments.

Those actions may be quiet, but when combined, they create an effective "soft shield" for Vietnam's image and values in cyberspace. Looking at those examples, I believe that "patriotism 4.0" is not measured by noise, but by standard: Standard in verification, standard in sharing, standard in responsible attitude. Those are all "soft shields" to protect the community, when combined, they create a very Vietnamese digital citizen culture: Quiet, responsible, effective.

Images of the parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

To raise awareness among young people, there needs to be a coordinated effort between family, school and society. In your opinion, how should each side play its role to create a safe and healthy environment for young people to develop?

Family, school and society are like three legs of a tripod; if one is missing, the tripod will be difficult to stand. Family is where the first seeds are sown: integrity, love, and pride in tradition. If during meals, parents can talk to their children about history and stories of living a decent life, that is a very early dose of “cultural vaccine”.

Schools play a role in fostering skills: Critical thinking, digital skills, information filtering ability. Not only teaching children “what is right, what is wrong”, but more importantly teaching them how to find answers for themselves in a world full of data and temptation.

Society, including the media, organizations, and the online environment, needs to create a healthy playground where young people are both challenged and inspired. An attractive mainstream news, a youth volunteer campaign, or simply a transparent digital platform can also become an effective “firewall”.

When all three of these links are in sync, we not only help young people avoid the dangers of bad and toxic information, but also create a generation that is confident, courageous, and knows how to protect the Fatherland in the 4.0 era.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/de-tao-ra-the-he-tu-tin-ban-linh-yeu-nuoc-trong-thoi-dai-40-327749.html