Everyone should learn how to classify information.

According to many experts, each individual should protect their own data, learn how to classify what information can be shared on social networks, and know how to grant or revoke data rights when necessary.

According to experts, to clean up social networks, it is necessary to raise awareness and responsibility of users. (Illustration photo)

Consequences of young people's dependence on the Internet

According to We Are Social, the number of social network users in Vietnam is now 76 million, accounting for more than 70% of the population. Vietnam is the 18th country in the world in terms of the percentage of people using the Internet and is one of the 10 countries with the highest number of Facebook and YouTube users in the world, of which young people account for a large proportion. In fact, the results of some surveys also show that a part of young people today are dependent on the Internet and social networks.

Statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications show that as of June 2023, the rate of Internet users in Vietnam reached 78.59%, exceeding the 2023 plan target (76%), the number of social network users in Vietnam in 2022 was nearly 76 million people, an increase of nearly 10 million people within 1 year (equivalent to 73.7% of the population).

With this figure, Vietnam is the country with the 12th highest number of Internet users in the world and ranks 6th out of 35 countries/territories in Asia. Vietnamese users spend an average of nearly 7 hours per day participating in Internet-related activities and the percentage of Internet users in Vietnam using the Internet daily is up to 94%.

It is undeniable that the Internet and social networks have brought great benefits to people, helping to connect, update information, knowledge and many other features in economic and social activities. Therefore, our lives have become more modern, more developed, and smarter. However, the risk lies in the culture in the online environment. There is a situation where users access unhealthy, inappropriate, and toxic content. Therefore, managing information on the Internet, including managing users, has become more urgent than ever.

In fact, when living and depending too much on the Internet, there will be problems and consequences. The phenomena of fraud, cyberbullying, information theft, and accounts for profit occur every day, every hour. In the context of the risk of personal information being exposed more clearly, more and more people's activities are shifting to the digital environment, according to experts, the management and identification of digital accounts is becoming more and more important.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has decided to issue a "Code of Conduct on Social Networks" stipulating many specific and detailed contents on behavioral conduct as well as ethical and cultural standards on cyberspace, and recommendations for organizations, individuals, and social network service providers.

According to Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, Technology Director of NCS Cyber Security Company, in the context of more and more people's activities shifting to the digital environment, managing and identifying digital accounts will help legal regulations be applied in a consistent and equal manner, regardless of real life or online. At the same time, it will make social network users more responsible for each of their statements, posts or comments.

Adjustment starts with the user

According to many experts, the most important thing for each individual is to protect their own data. At the same time, learn how to classify what information can be shared on social networks and what information cannot, and know how to grant or revoke data permissions when necessary.

Communications expert Le Quoc Vinh. (Photo: NVCC)

Expressing his opinion on this issue, communications expert Le Quoc Vinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Le Invest Corporation, said that social media culture is similar to real life. What happens in real life happens on social media, but social media has a deeper impact than real life.

Mr. Vinh said that investors and social network owners also have the responsibility to monitor and detect deviant behaviors and toxic products in order to find solutions to eliminate them.

"The government has issued policies, sanctions and requires network operators to regularly control and prevent harmful products, but the most important thing is to invest in people. New social network users need to adjust," said Mr. Le Quoc Vinh.

Because inappropriate behavior has a much greater impact on society in cyberspace than in real life, adjusting the culture of behaving in a kind manner on social networks is necessary, important and must be done.

"To clean up cyberspace, it is necessary for the authorities to take stronger action and handle the situation more strictly. Moreover, the most important thing is to create awareness and raise social responsibility of each person in using social networks," expert Le Quoc Vinh emphasized.

According to the Organizing Committee of the ASEAN Regional Forum on Responding to and Handling Fake News on Cyberspace, within the framework of the 16th ASEAN Ministers on Information (AMRI) Meeting, from 2017 to present, regarding the issue of fake news and misinformation, ASEAN has issued many statements and activities to raise awareness of the harmful effects such as: programs and workshops to share policies on managing and handling fake news; campaigns to improve digital literacy for people to increase understanding and mutual learning among electronic information management agencies.

The ASEAN Regional Forum on Countering and Handling Fake News in Cyberspace creates an open space for discussion between state management agencies, the press, cross-border platforms and relevant parties. This aims to affirm the determination of ASEAN countries in minimizing the harmful effects of fake news, towards ASEAN's common efforts to create a healthy and trustworthy information space for the people.

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