Why do we believe in fake news?

We live in an era of overabundance of the most diverseinformation. Today it is difficult to imagine a person who has not heard anything about fake news. The English word fake translates as fake, fake. But how to understand which news is true and which is not? Danish scientists Vincent Hendricks and Pelle Hansen call the era of fake news “information storm” or info storm. But is it really the reason that many trust false information lies solely in stories about human stupidity and unreasonableness? Let's try to figure this out.

A large amount of information makes it difficult to find true information.

What is fake news?

Fake, that is, false, fake news -it is information or an information product that contains partially or completely no true information. In the past, the false news that was printed in the newspapers was called the “duck.” Their feature has always been that they spread incredibly quickly.

However, if newspaper ducks were often an ordinary thing or intentionally distributed, today fake news is found even in the most respected media.

Why do we believe fake news?

According to Hendricks and Hansen, when we don’t haveenough information to see the whole picture or if we don’t want to check anything or there’s no time for it, we look at the reaction of others. It is logical that when we know little about anything, we are interested in learning the opinions of those who are close to us. Researchers report that often the personal beliefs of others can indicate what is actually happening. Especially if we believe that our environment is well versed in a particular issue. However, do not forget that not all people from our environment are experts on all issues.

In the past, it was easier to understand which news is “duck” and which is not.

Experts believe that the reason for trust inthe fake news, perhaps, lies in the fact that today many do not understand how information is distributed on the Internet. And do not check the facts. What other reasons do you believe in credibility of fake news? You can discuss these and other pressing issues related to fake news in our Telegram chat.

How to understand that you are being told the truth?

The best way to deal with fake newsscientists call the ability to think critically. Recall that critical thinking is a way of thinking in which a person questions not only his own beliefs, but also any incoming information. However, today fake news has changed so much that even professionals in the media can not always distinguish truth from fiction.

Social networks are gradually turning the issue of fake news into a threat

The situation worsened with the advent of socialnetworks. Today everyone can share any information with their friends. So you can come up with any story you like, add some real events to it and pass it off at face value. And social networks are often used as a way to build and attract an audience. So the louder and brighter the news - the more people will come to your page. This leads us to the following method, which allows us to distinguish truthful information from false information - fake news very often “shoots” - that is, they fly instantly through social networks.

It's interesting: NVIDIA taught artificial intelligence to create fake videos

This is because the average reader is likely to miss the usual news of culture and economics, but be sure to follow the link with a catchy and non-standard headline.

Readers love interesting stories.help and the creators of fake news come. So read the headlines carefully. And do not forget to subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen, there you will find only verified information.

Well, of course, check the information. It’s best to do this always. Yes, it takes time to search for the source, but if the important information that caught your eye does not inspire confidence, you know what to do.

Do you check the information or trust the opinions of others?