Fake News and the abuse of Social Media
By: Nick Lacson
Power of the World Wide Web
We can truly say that the internet has become a crucial part of our society. Day to day activities are made easier because of it. Something you wouldn’t know about can be learned by just looking it up the web. In our world today, the internet can give you power. A witty or eye-catching post plus a pretty face can get you recognition and the power to influence others.
Fake News
The internet has become a kingdom for most people, some rulers decide to use their power for their benefit, some for awareness, and there are some who use it to create confusion. Their goal is to successfully spread disinformation to bend the truth in their favor. The internet to these “trolls” is a weapon that allows them to manipulate public opinion and media to improve their image.
Mocha Uson “Queen of Fake News”
Mocha Uson is a former lead vocalist of Mocha Girls who is currently acting as a political blogger for the Duterte administration. After a while, she was appointed as a Secretary for assistant communications. Uson has become the talk of the town after her series of political posts in Facebook, which later on turned out to be fake news.
Here is an example of Mocha Uson’s fake news posts:
Dead Body from Brazil
Uson shared a post of a Duterte supporter which claimed that a young girl was murdered in the Philippines because of the country’s issue on drugs. In her post she expressed her disappointment on the Commission of Human Rights because they didn’t seem to give light on the issue. The issue apparently happened back in 2014 when nine-year-old Brazilian girl was murdered by her grandfather.
Trolling
Trolls are what you would call people online who post offensive content to get reactions. Their primary goal is to get a rise out of other users by posting or commenting sensitive content. These people are a hassle to deal with, trying to argue with one would only waste your time. Logical and sound arguments do not work on these trolls because they have their weapon of unwarranted and wild comments regarding a persons face. They are pretty much an army of ad hominem users.
Sources:
Hanson, J. (n.d.). Trolls and Their Impact on Social Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://unlcms.unl.edu/engineering/james-hanson/trolls-and-their-impact-social-media
Mailchimp (n.d.). Is Social Media News “Real News”?. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://mailchimp.com/resources/fake-news-on-social-media/
Nelz, J. (2017). List Of Fake News Allegedly Posted By Mocha Uson. Retrieved September 23, 2020, from https://philnews.ph/2017/10/06/list-fake-news-allegedly-posted-mocha-uson-inquirer/
