The fact that we all inevitably make mistakes is no excuse to post and reshare whatever you come across on social media. We’re all responsible for making the global digital environment a more trustworthy place with less misinformation and disinformation. But that’s easier said than done, especially with so many malicious actors, biases, competing agendas, and bots online.
Disinformation is when someone deliberately makes up a false claim for a specific purpose. Meanwhile, misinformation is false content that is accidentally shared by people who don’t know that the information is inaccurate, the BBC explains.
As per the BBC, there are various reasons why someone might spread false information. For instance, they might have misheard or misquoted a claim from a real piece of news. Or they might have misunderstood a joke or a parody post, believing it to be fact.
Furthermore, someone might intentionally spread false info just to make money or drive attention to their website. Or they are paid to promote a specific person, point of view, or political party.
Broadly speaking, when we come across information that matches our own beliefs, we’re much more likely to believe that it's true. This is known as confirmation bias. On the other hand, even if the info isn’t something that we usually believe, if it is shocking enough, it might use our emotions against us, driving us to share it with others online.
According to the BBC, sharing false information tends to start in small and trusted networks before spreading more widely.
“These might be groups on messaging apps like a family chat, or social media pages and groups full of like-minded members. We all trust our family and friends, so when they send something on to us that might contain false information, we’re more likely to believe them—and then in turn share it with others that we trust too. Imagine a web of contacts slowly getting larger as fake news is passed between different trusted networks; that’s how the sharing starts,” the BBC explains.
The spread of misinformation and disinformation is sometimes helped along by bots (fake accounts) and trolls (real accounts of people who enjoy harassing and intimidating others). “They might do this for money, political gain, or even just for fun,” the BBC notes.
If someone with a large online following notices false information and then decides to share it, it then goes even more viral. These individuals have a lot of power to amplify false narratives.
As per a study by the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute, just 20% of fake news stories were produced or shared by famous public figures, but these posts made up nearly 70% of the total engagements on social media.
That’s not to say that non-influencers don’t have much of an impact. They do. Sharing misinformation among your close family and friends raises the probability that it will then be picked up by news outlets and spill over into the public.
Some news outlets are so desperate for clicks and popularity that they won’t double-check the information they publish it.
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The American Psychological Association seconds the BBC’s point that people are more likely to share misinformation when it aligns with their beliefs or when it is shocking. Namely, individuals tend to spread misinfo when it matches their personal identity or social norms, and when it elicits strong emotions. On top of that, people tend to spread false claims when the info is novel.
And, like with any information, the more it is repeated, the more likely you are to believe it (even if you’re educated).
“Exposure to misinformation increases the odds that people will believe it, which in turn increases the odds that they will spread it,” the APA explains.
