Credit: CC0 Public Domain
On Monday, scientists revealed some of the reasons for the explosion of hoaxes and lies on social media—an information overload has left consumers unable to discern the good from the bad.
“Our results show for the fist time that low- and high-quality information have the same chances to succeed,” study co-author Diego Oliveira of Indiana University’s School of Informatics and Computing told AFP.
“And such a lack of discrimination is a result of our limited attention and the amount of information (to which) we are exposed.”
Hoaxes and fake news, the team found, are just as likely to go viral as well-sourced, accurate information.
Click here to view original web page at phys.org
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources
…and, it took geniuses to figure this out?
To me it’s only fake need if they present an opinion that is extremely biased. Really… no one needs to hear a real reporter’s biased opinion, that barely falls short of swearing. How BORING!! DO YOU PEOPLE NOT AGREE!?!?
Dee Ruiz, you are lucky to have been so fortunate as to receive such and adequate education. The sad truth is, that in comparison to those who are highly educated (post-secondary), the populace of people (and counting) is outmatched by technology. It will be our denise and that is fact. Technological trends would indicate so. To believe that every individual is as educated and knowledgeable about source credibility as you would be self-fulfilling and narcissistic. Unless you grew up under Mount Hood, you must be aware of the “fake news” that runs rampant on social media. I see only one cause and only one solution. Educate, in schools, as a part of their curriculum, social media literacy and how to both protect yourself from misinformation, and also about the importance and influence of technology; If people are intelligent enough to deferentiate fake news and real news, the threat of “fake news” would become obsolete. The problem is NOT fake news, but the inability to identify key characteristics of fake news. In other words, our future is: “BLEAK”; according to Stabdfird University History Education Group. Let’s all quit bitching about fake news, and rather do something about it. Because, in the meantime, who knows what is taking place in Washington. If our generation maintains the inability to recognize “alternative facts” from reality, then we are doomed to a lifetime of regression and oppression. I say this, not out of disrespect for any ONE political party, as I often find myself weighing both sides before making any decisions (politically). I say it out of respect for the representational government that we exist within. However, one cannot ignore the fundamental flaws within our system. Just to name one: the inadequate and unproportianal “representation”; who leads our nation, and into WHAT?
Thank you, you are obviously right.