Exaggerations can be amplified on social media
According to a new report published earlier this week by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford found that roughly one third of social media users across the United States, as well as Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Spain and United Kingdom, reported seeing false or misleading information about coronavirus.
According to the study, this is a problem with the media in general: “A majority of respondents in every country say that the news media have helped them understand the crisis and explain what they can do. However, about one in three also say they feel the news media have exaggerated the pandemic.”
Those exaggerations can just be amplified on social media.
And while Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube issued a joint statement and pledged to work together to combat misinformation it continues to spread as fast as the actual coronavirus. Even before the pandemic the social media platforms had been under pressure to address the spread of false news and misinformation, but now the situation seems to be getting worse not better.
Attempts to even label misinformation have fallen dramatically short as TheConversation noted recently – and the reason is sadly too obvious: “social media platforms tend to use automated algorithms for these tasks, because they scale well.” In other words it takes humans to understand what is truly misinformation or disinformation, but even more human eyeballs wouldn’t solve the problem. “Tweets can be shared millions of times before being labeled. Even if removed, they can easily be edited and then reposted to avoid algorithmic detections.”
Then there is the fact that labeling misinformation might only amplify that information, while those who really try to spread the disinformation will find a way to do so.
But perhaps the question shouldn’t be about why it is so hard to combat the spread of misinformation. Maybe that is part of the problem.
“Let’s flip this question and ask who ‘benefits’ from the spread of misleading information to see why this is such a difficult problem to stop,” suggested technology industry analyst Josh Crandall of Netpop Research.
“First, the social media platforms benefit from misleading information because these stories and posts are often ‘too good to be true’ that readers and viewers will reply, like, forward, and retweet them,” explained Crandall.
The Changing Media
The very nature of social media allows for information to be readily shared – and unlike traditional news outlets there is no filter, no fact checking and often a lot of bias.
“It used to be that we consulted our local and national news sources, who more often than not had verifiable evidence for their reporting,” said James R. Bailey, professor of leadership at the George Washington University School of Business.
“Today, we have an open platform that allows amateur journalists and opinionators to express themselves through half-truths, innuendo, rumor, and hearsay,” Bailey added. “Just as the implications of coronavirus are the new normal, so is the disinformation of reporting it. Distortion runs rife. And there’s no way of checking it.”
For these reason social media platforms provide access and opportunity to spread misinformation and rumors easily.
“The spread of misinformation is not new,” said Naim Kapucu, PhD, Pegasus professor and director School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida.
“Misinformation, harmful content, and privacy issues have been major challenges for social media platforms,” warned Kapucu.
“Trusting content is especially critical as more people are using social media for news and updates,” Kapucu added. “The digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter need serious considerations to address misinformation about COVID-19.”
At the same time social media is often just passing on what is being said in daily news briefings.
“Government officials and public leaders who are dealing with this global health crisis daily basis are equally responsible for providing accurate, scientific information on a regular basis in combating misinformation and rumor,” noted Kapucu. “If the accurate scientific information is not provided by public officials, crisis leaders on a regular basis during press releases, this provides an opportunity for the spread of misinformation.”
Easy To Spread, Hard To Stop
As with other misinformation that is easily spread on social media, there is often no filter to determine if the information is accurate.
“There are three predominant variables that may impact one’s ability to distinguish the accuracy and validity of information shared on social media platforms,” said Dr. Theresa Horner, director of the Public Health Program in the School of Health Sciences at Saint Francis University Worldwide.
“First, many Americans rely on social media as a primary news source and thereby fail to seek out another means of evidence,” she explained.
“Second, the format makes the information appear to be credible,” added Horner. “Lastly, the sharing and liking of posts by family and friends enhances the trustworthiness. It is human nature to search for guidance, information and direction during times of crisis. However, during those times, and this pandemic it is vitally important to consider the validity of a source and seek out the advice of experts. Explore the correctness of the information as if your life depended on it and look to the ‘experts in the field’ such as, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or the State Health Department.”
Traffic Is Traffic
Another factor in all this is that at the end of the day the social platforms want to keep users engaged. Content that “goes viral” is good for business.
“This generates additional traffic and economic value for the social media companies,” said Crandall. “The publishers of misleading information benefit. Whether it’s a public figure, a nefarious foreign organization, PAC, or simply some grandstanding individual, they use social media platforms to ‘control the conversation’ and push their private agendas to their believers.”
Even worse is that many on the receiving end may believe they actually benefit from this.
“Readers and viewers take a stand against misleading information by taking a stand ‘for’ or ‘against’ the misinformation,” added Crandall. “Emotional responses are posted on each side, battles rage. In fact, the comments associated with misinformation online today (have become) a new type of operatic entertainment, as people parry from each side of the ‘truth.'”
With so many who “benefit” from the creation and dissemination of misinformation, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to stop the flow, Crandall pondered.
“Free speech, libertarian, and corporate lobbyists continue to press for those who see benefits from misinformation online, making legislative changes to prevent the flow of misinformation online difficult to achieve,” he added.
This is unlikely to change – certainly not during the ongoing pandemic.
“The critical task at hand should be providing accurate information on a regular basis at every platform, including social media, as frequently as possible,” said Kapucu. “Otherwise, the effort in sharing information will be spent on stopping or controlling the misinformation. When the misinformation is out on social media, stopping it is not easy. It is very critical during emergencies and crises that the public hears from leaders at every level of government state the same, consistent message on a regular basis.”
Perhaps when we are finally past this era of social distancing, some users may look back and see whether it is time to socially connect beyond the keyboard. At least when it comes to trusting everything that is posted, tweeted or shared.
“Social media can be a wonderful vehicle to reach the masses through the sharing of information,” said Horner.
No doubt this moment will be studied – not just in how the pandemic spread, but also the information related to it.
“Mark Twain and Winston Churchill, both epigrammatic geniuses, observed that lies travel halfway across the world before the truth has its shoes on,” Bailey added. “Lies and truth are hard to distinguish these days.”