The third year English Language Studies (ELS) students from the Department of English Faculty of Arts and Letters carried out a service-learning activity on detecting online deception and navigating an increasingly complex digital information landscape on April 2, 2025 at the Macario B. Asistio Sr. High School in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan. Organized by the Department of English and in partnership with the English Language Studies Society, the event focused on enhancing senior high school students’ ability to evaluate misleading language used in digital spaces.
Group discussions were facilitated by third-year ELS students. Discussions and exercises focusing on detecting fake websites and misleading information were done. Real-life cases involving deception such as phishing scams, misleading emails, and deceptive statements in court were also examined. The senior high school students were provided practical experience in critically evaluating messages, spotting linguistic red flags, and uncovering hidden meanings often masked by persuasive language.
The initiative comes amid the growing challenges brought by the digital age. While digital media has improved access to information, it has also enabled the rapid spread of fake news and the manipulation of public discussions through strategic language. In this landscape, language becomes a powerful tool, a weapon that can inform and connect, but also mislead and distort.
The activity hoped to champion linguistic awareness by empowering audiences, particularly the youth, to become more critical and discerning of the language they encounter online. Rooted in Thomasian values of truth, competence, and compassion, the initiative reflects the commitment of UST students to use their knowledge in service of the greater good. The project reinforced a core Thomasian ideal: that language, when used with integrity and purpose, can not only inform—but also transform.