Addressing a self-respect marriage ceremony in Coimbatore, Kanimozhi cautioned against the rapid spread of misinformation on platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, saying unverified claims were often accepted as truth without people considering their consequences.

“Social media can be used both to share positive content and to circulate unverified information. Many people tend to believe false claims without verification, failing to understand the impact of misinformation. False narratives spread much faster through social media,” she said.

Referring to a recent misleading claim being circulated online, she added, “A wrong impression is now being spread that Tamil Nadu has got its first woman minister. We must apply the rational thinking taught by Periyar EV Ramasamy.”

Kanimozhi also called on the younger generation to understand the contributions of Periyar and the Dravidian movement towards social justice, equality and rational thought.

“Today, women have crossed several barriers and emerged as educated and accomplished individuals. This transformation did not happen overnight. Leaders of the Dravidian movement fought for decades to bring about this social change,” she said.

Highlighting the growing use of artificial intelligence tools, Kanimozhi noted that such technologies could sometimes generate inaccurate or misleading responses. She urged youngsters to cultivate a rational outlook while staying connected to their language, culture and values.