Can Media Literacy Games Travel Across Cultures?

Most tools designed to combat misinformation are developed with Western audiences in mind. But what happens when these tools are deployed elsewhere? Recent research suggests that the effectiveness of media literacy games hinges not only on content but also on cultural context, design choices and user engagement.

The Rise of ‘Prebunking’

Traditional approaches to misinformation often focus on debunking – correcting false claims after they’ve been encountered. However, a more promising strategy is prebunking, rooted in William McGuire’s inoculation theory from the 1960s. Prebunking involves exposing individuals to weakened versions of misleading arguments, building cognitive resistance before they encounter the full force of misinformation. While effective, most prebunking research has been conducted with Western, English-speaking populations.

Two Games, Two Countries

To address this gap, researchers tested two media literacy games – one designed for Western audiences and another specifically for Indonesia – with participants in both countries. The study, recently published in Nature’s Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, involved nearly 1,600 participants (799 in Indonesia and 790 in the United States).

Gali Fakta: Designed for Indonesia

Gali Fakta simulates a WhatsApp-style group chat where players evaluate the credibility of messages from fictional contacts. Its design reflects how misinformation commonly spreads in Indonesia: through peer networks and direct messaging apps.

Harmony Square: Designed for Western Audiences

Harmony Square casts players as a “Chief Disinformation Officer” tasked with spreading misinformation to understand manipulation tactics. This game is tailored to the politically charged, partisan media landscape common in the United States.

What the Research Revealed

The study compared the games against a control group playing Tetris. Key findings include:

• Indonesia: Gali Fakta significantly improved participants’ ability to discern whether they would share false headlines. Harmony Square had no discernible effect.
• United States: Both Harmony Square and Gali Fakta effectively improved accuracy and sharing discernment.
• Engagement Matters: Across both countries, higher engagement with the games correlated with better discernment skills.

Researchers found that the satirical and politically-framed approach of Harmony Square didn’t resonate in Indonesia, potentially due to cultural norms and legal consequences associated with spreading misinformation. Political ideology did not predict discernment in Indonesia, unlike the U.S. Where more conservative participants were less accurate at identifying false headlines.

Key Takeaways

• Culturally tailored misinformation games outperform generic ones.
• Indonesia’s peer-chat game (Gali Fakta) boosted discernment in both countries.
• Western satire (Harmony Square) failed to have an impact in Indonesia.
• Engagement is a critical factor driving learning.

These findings underscore the importance of cultural relevance and engagement in media literacy interventions. A simpler, peer-based format, like that of Gali Fakta, appears to be more readily transferable across cultures than sophisticated political satire. Misinformation is a social problem that spreads through relationships, and effective interventions must meet people within those social dynamics.