In Thailand, Students Believe Everything on the Internet, but Teacher

How to cite this post in academic journal
Eden, S.W. (2021, June 22). In Thailand, Students Believe Everything on the Internet, but Teacher. Sw-Eden.NET. https://swedenofficial.wordpress.com/2021/06/22/thailand-students-believe-internet-teacher

Copyrights by the Sw Eden, 2021

It is our responsibility to filter out the fake news. Some media or graphic images provide only negative part of information without mentioning any positive part. Although the negative part is true, but the media themselves tell a lie to people. The media could change people’s perspective into an inappropriate way. Therefore, please be a smart media audience! All of us need to study both positive and negative light of everything.

And this also includes the knowledge about patent and CPTPP. Last month, I got a serious argument with a past student. She was my student in undergraduate school, and last year, she completed her bachelor degree. I am no longer her teacher, and I understand that she has no reason to listen to me anymore. Even, it is unlike me, that every time I visited my high school, I always respect my old teachers.

The aforementioned student got negative attitude toward patent laws. She found a beautiful motion graphic video or graphic image teaching about patent laws. The beautiful piece of media turned her to be a hater with negative attitude toward patent. She believes that patent laws cause all the goods, products, and foods more expensive. She thinks that Thai poor farmers will be no longer able to keep the seeds to grow their plants, since all seeds were protected with patent laws. And with CPTPP, Thai people will need to pay a lot of money to foreigners, since all Thai products require foreign patents.

I tried to tell her that the information is not totally correct. Many kinds of seeds or plants are natural and got nothing to do with patents. All other products are also similar. Thai people do not also need to use foreign patents. Many innovations and product designs were created by Thai people, and their patents were also registered by Thai people or organizations.

This student is afraid that general people will not be able to reproduce products with patents. If their actions go against the patent laws, everything will be more expensive.

When she was my student, I taught her and friends in Art and Animation class. She is now an artist. I used this point to describe her that patent is somewhat similar to copyrights. If other people need to use it or reproduce it, they at least need to ask for a permission or make a contract with the owner. She is an artist, and she loves her artwork, I know, but she cannot understand the right of ownership that I tried to describe.

The beautiful piece of media, which were spread virally online, have extreme influence in her belief. She did not listen to me. She rejects everything that does not match that graphic media.

I wish there was only her that operates the brain like this. However, I know, many young people, now, believe many things on the internet, especially something beautiful, easy to watch, easy to read, and something posted by cyberstars or online influencers. They would listen to famous people without any academic degree, and refuse to listen to teachers, doctors, parents, and scholars. I just wish that my generation will not be the last generation with media literacy skills.