Misinformation and its "favorable environment"- social media platforms
- Trương Bá Anh Tú
- Apr 9, 2024
- 3 min read
Fake news? Misinformation? and Disinformation?
First, internet users should understand some popular terms related to fake news. According to Central Washington University libraries, the phrase "fake news" refers to information that has been circulated that includes any one or more of the following:
"Blatantly, intentionally false
Hyperpartisan (displaying extreme political bias)
Severely lacking in credible attribution or supporting evidence
Old, verified news presented or repackaged as brand-new
Satirical or patently absurd (The Onion is a prime example)"
Be wary of misusing the term "fake news" in contexts intended to undermine reliable news sources or accurate information. Donald Trump regularly used the term "fake news" both before and during his presidency to disparage news organizations, the press, or information that didn't sit well with him but was, true, r,eputable news. Before his account was suspended in January 2021, he used the term "fake news" 979 times on Twitter.
Other phrases you might hear about sharing of erroneous information include:
Information that is false but may not have been spread maliciously is called misinformation.
Disinformation includes information that is purposefully false or misleading, frequently done so to trick, influence, or confuse. Strategic misinformation is frequently well-organized and uses automated search engines to draw in more viewers.
You can watch this video to know how to spot fake news. Source: Behind the News from ABC, an Australian public broadcast service.
Acknowledging that we are all prone to believing misleading information when discussing and evaluating information is critical. This is not a problem exclusive to any particular social class or segment. Although an individual's level of education greatly influences their capacity for information analysis, people with all levels of education are susceptible to false information due to personal prejudices. According to Heshmat (2015), confirmation bias is the propensity for people to reject, downplay, ignore, or reinterpret information that contradicts their preexisting beliefs in favor of information that confirms those beliefs. This phenomenon means that disproving fake news that confirms your beliefs frequently requires more work.
That is the research title, which was conducted by Gizem Ceylan (2023), a postdoctoral researcher at Yale School of Management. The study shows how profoundly social media has influenced social media users' routines. Platforms want more users to spend more time on them, translating into more revenue and engagement. Platforms have produced users who share anything and everything, regardless of quality or accuracy, by incentivizing and magnifying any interaction. It is a systemic problem rather than a personal one. To assist individuals in making better decisions, those who may be concerned must improve the social media platform environments by showing users accountability for their political prejudices or laziness regarding the misinformation issue. The "reward" scheme on these platforms needs to be modified.
Misinformation can be spread in a "favorable environment" on social media platforms. Source: ABC Action News
Who should take responsibility for this?
According to Micich & Cross (2023), a news ecosystem unlike any other that has existed before has been left to Gen Z. At a high societal cost; the social media business model drives views, clicks, and ad revenue to unprecedented heights. Encouraging and knowledgeable citizens largely depend on trustworthy access to correct information. The tendency of social media to spread false information means that an increase in the number of users accessing news-like content on these platforms could further skew the echo chambers.
Some of the most influential and well-funded businesses in the world are the social media behemoths. They have constructed the most advanced networks for exchanging information ever known to man. Though disinformation is complex, these businesses possess the means and know-how to address it head-on more than anyone else. Regulators must become more aware of what goes on behind the scenes in social media and inform the tech companies that solving the problems should take precedence.
References
CWU - Misinformation & Fake News. (n.d.). CWU Libraries. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://libguides.lib.cwu.edu/fakenews
Heshmat. (2015, April 23). What Is Confirmation Bias? Psychology Today. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-of-choice/201504/what-is-confirmation-bias
Ceylan, G. (2023, March 31). How Social Media Rewards Misinformation. Yale Insights. https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/how-social-media-rewards-misinformation
Micich, A., & Cross, R. (2023, November 22). How misinformation on social media has changed news. U.S. PIRG Education Fund. https://pirg.org/edfund/articles/misinformation-on-social-media/
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