Sometimes, people go on the Internet and lie.
Please, do not be too shocked. It might comfort you to know that these lies aren't always intentional— rather, it's possible that whoever just spewed that concerning lie (your testy grandfather, your invasive Uber driver hell-bent on making small talk, your sigh-inducing coworker Ron, etc.) has based their opinion solely on wrong information.
Information can be sensationalized enough for most people to believe without fact-checking the sources or logistics. In other words, they can be misinformed. Misinformation is described by the American Psychological Association (APA) as "any information that is demonstrably false or otherwise misleading, regardless of its source or intention.”
But what (or who) spreads misinformation?
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| (The icon of X's "Community Notes" feature, used by users to fact check one another's posts.) |
The Usual Suspects
According to the APA, misinformation is more likely to spread on social media rather than "traditional" forms of news, such as television, radio, or newspaper. The otherwise unregulated nature of social media users' posts can cause unchecked info to spread virally, leading to the rise of certain trends unbacked by fact. Examples often include:
- Dangerous health practices, such as diet fads or misuses of food
- Spiraling, out of control gossip becoming apocryphal
- Media "leaks" that hold little to no weight
Furthermore, due to the algorithmic nature of social media, it's easier than ever to be lost in an echo chamber, a trap best described as "an environment or ecosystem in which participants encounter beliefs that amplify or reinforce their preexisting beliefs..." A user's homepage is more likely to regurgitate the info that they gravitate toward. The user will consume more of this info, influencing their algorithm and creating a feedback loop.
However, there are times where people will lie. On purpose.
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| (GIF of young Allison Hargreeves from Netflix's The Umbrella Academy using her power of rumormongering) |
Disinformation is different from misinformation in that it is wrong information shared specifically with the intent to deceive. Reasons can vary, but most are targeted in nature, often furthering social biases or political agendas. If anything, misinformation is the lesser evil of the two.
The Damage, and How To Lessen It
With both types discussed, it's important to know that the people sharing this (mis/dis)information aren't always people.
In a study by the National Library of Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found that nigh 4,000 bots had an average of 770 posts each spreading disinformation about the virus spanning from January 1st to August 21st of 2020. This means the outflow of truthful information can be harder to sift through thanks to these bots. Who knows just how much fusing of fact and fiction obscured many users' perspective of what the truth regarding COVID was.
This is why media literacy is a crucial skill to hone. Knowing how to disengage with false information is just as important as recognizing it, both of which are talents one can learn by familiarizing oneself with the various tactics used. Only then can we take one step closer to a well informed world.
English class wasn't completely useless after all, if you can believe it.
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| (Catalysts for false info from The Conversation) |
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