"THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION LITERACY IN EVALUATING

CREDIBLE INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK"

By: Prince Rhainer P. Betalmos

Facebook is the most popular and widely used social media platform in today's world. It contains a variety of
media, such as photos, text, videos, and messages which allows us to easily communicate, interact, and share
information with others. There are numerous features on Facebook that allow you to access information. The
news feed on Facebook enables you to see and read information through blog posts, status updates, images, and
even videos. Messenger contributes significantly to information dissemination by sending messages that can
contain images, text, or video data. Although it is extremely useful, there are risks associated with using it,
particularly the risk of using Facebook as a tool or source of information.

One of the main reasons is that Facebook has a lot of Facebook users that are not real, i.e., fake or just
dummy accounts. Many of them are imposter accounts or false profiles of your own, posing a security risk
because these imposter accounts can spread false information about your friends, family, or even yourself. Many
of these accounts are used for crimes such as financial fraud and cyber attacks, in which the victim is bombarded
with thousands of fake links in order to phish their data or install malware on their device, among other things.
Among those things, Facebook also has a lot of fake Facebook pages that spread false information, which includes
medical information and news. Facebook pages like these not only spread false information but also link to
clickbaiting articles. Another main reason at risk on Facebook is a false market place, where if you're not wise
enough to identify legitimate sellers, you will be a victim of scammers and modos operandi that give you fake
items or trick you into paying first before the item is delivered. which will become a big loss of yours. These are
just some of the risks on Facebook if you're not information literate enough to identify these things and to prevent
them from happening. That's why it is important that we know information literacy in evaluating credible
information on Facebook. The reason is that being wise in seeking legitimate information on Facebook enables
you to spot false Facebook posts easily. Because you have the ability to philosophize, whether to accept or decline
the information based on your examination of its credibility from its source. Another reason is that you now read
and assess first before you click, comment, or react. Information literacy teaches you how to use many legitimate
sources to confirm and evaluate information you find on Facebook. On the other hand, it also enables you to
identify fake Facebook pages, accounts, and users. You are aware of where to look for a verified page badge or
even recognize such suspicious social proofs, such as fake Facebook likes and followers, because some of them are
just bots. These are just a few examples of the significance of information literacy in evaluating information on
Facebook.

Being information literate has a lot of benefits in terms of evaluating credible information. First of all, is the
assurance of reliable and legitimate information. Second, you can prevent fake news from spreading by sharing
your awareness with others so that they will also practice being information literate. And lastly, you are safe and
protected from information phishing, hackers, and scammers because you're aware and knowledgeable about
dealing with this type of risk on Facebook. Facebook can have many useful features in the media to acquire
information and use it in our daily lives. Together with that is also the risk brought by the advancement of our
wide range of technology today. Fake news, false information, and a slew of other dangers are on the rise. As
Facebook users, we should be information literate, especially when it comes to evaluating credible information. So
that we can fight false information together and keep our social media accounts free of fake news. and live in the
media with truthful and reliable information on Facebook.