The Perils of Misinformation — Part I
Fake News isn’t a Small Deal.
A close friend of mine forwarded me a message on WhatsApp, which claimed that WhatsApp was going to shut down, and the Indian Government would soon charge people money for further use. It instantly seemed totally absurd, yet my friend wasn’t convinced when I mentioned that it’s Fake News.
And he had a reason to believe in it — he had received the same news from a dozen people already.
The Internet is indeed a great medium for instant transmission of all sorts of information. Even Misinformation — or Fake News.
Indeed, some people have come to use the Internet for spreading malicious rumors and fake news — for political gains, publicity or downright social disorder. Whatever the motive may be, its usually harmful.
But how can something so fake, spread so quickly?
Lack of Awareness
Uninformed people, with scarce access to legitimate sources of information, and people with little awareness about the risks of fake news, often become the carriers of this virus. They may want to help others by sharing the latest news bulletins — and unknowingly become a part of the misinformation, merely because of carelessness.
A desire for Quick Answers
People’s desire to stay ahead by having knowledge about the most recent happenings, in the least possible time, often supersedes their desire to validate and verify their information. The result is well known.
Circular Reporting
Circular Reporting can be seen when someone publishes (purposefully) Fake News, someone else republishes the news citing him — and the original publisher now cites the person who copies him. Such a situation, on a wide scale, can easily confuse common people, who may be forced to believe in the news just because it has been published by numerous sources with numerous citations.
Ideological Bias
In a politically and intellectually partisan society like ours, people are subconsciously in a constant search for arguments to endorse their opinion — for micro-level debates or even for self-satisfaction. This is called a Confirmatory Bias and can end up in people believing something just because they want to believe in it — even sidelining other facts and counter-arguments.
The Solution?
It right there. The Internet!
Though the Internet has accelerated the spread of misinformation, it has also opened up new doors to knowledge — for every single user — breaking all primitive barriers. We can use the Internet itself to fight against this malice.
Track the Sources
Track the sources of any information right up to the point when you are convinced it isn’t fake. Look out for our most common Red Flag — Circular Reporting.
Avoid Sensational Media
Be alert when you come across any sensational news — inspect every detail before you believe in it, ensure that the source does not manipulate facts to make you believe in something else.
Search for Criticism
Look out for criticism against the subject being discussed — this can prove crucial while determining the legitimacy of the news.
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. (Mark Twain)
It should be noted that, so to speak, we don’t have a genuine argument to believe it was really Mark Twain who remarked this.
We all can help — being a little more careful while surfing on the Internet is all that we need to play our part in this mission against Fake News.
It requires a little more effort — but that endeavor is much smaller than the struggle it takes to stop the proliferation of lies, once they start propagating.
This story was published in Technifity — A Growing Publication with a difference! Follow Technifity today and stay updated about everything happening — that matters to our times.
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