A growing body of evidence suggests that a significant amount of people feel insecure not only in their homes but also outside when they go for a walk. While this phenomenon is often attributed to online safety and geological location of the country. This essay will examine the main challenges correlated with these causes and propose viable solutions.
At the heart of the issue is the growing risk of being exposed to misinformation and possible offensive strike from neighboring countries. With the new millennia, broadband internet is available to nearly every individual. While getting news from the internet is better than conventional ways, it is also a major source of misinformation. If left unaddressed, this may bring panic to certain communities and even hatred towards some minorities. This is particularly evident in the cyberattack in 2020 during U.S presidential elections. A group of hackers released bots that would spread misinformation about presidential candidates. Another key cause for the problem is geological position of a country. Some countries which don’t contribute in a war still get attacked by next-door countries. This is especially apparent in Middle East which is a hotspot for wars. News reports showed that Lebanon was bombed several times by Iran and Israel despite not being involved in the war.
A viable approach to addressing the issue would be to educate people on media literacy and promote peace in countries in war. Such measures are likely to yield long-term benefits. Media literacy is an important topic in the 21st century as the internet is getting more and more popular. Being able to identify facts and disinformation is important as it lifts the unnecessary anxiety over communities and strengthens bonds with others. A case in point is in Turkiye, after passing a bill about media safety Turkic people became aware of some situations. Equally important is to address wars between countries. It is one of the main principles of UN. In the past, UN addressed the problems in Central America which deescalated the risk of war.
While the issue is complex, it is not insurmountable. By teaching media literacy and strengthening the relations between countries could contribute in solving the problem.