Fake news isn’t a 21st century phenomenon. Fake news, or say rumors, has existed for long, even when there were no newspapers or news channels or social media applications. But the sort of attention this subject is grabbing today is indeed unprecedented. Why? Because while rumors in the sans-social media era were confined to few people, without having wider implications for the society, the dawn of social media and its widespread usage by people of all age groups has exacerbated the repercussions of fake news and this is the reason why all stakeholders, from governments to law enforcement authorities, are vigorously fighting to curb the menace.
The subject can be easily interpreted with the help of an example. Although there are many, let’s focus on one that grabbed international headlines. In a fundraising campaign on popular site GoFundMe, the fund seekers scammed people into donating more than USD 400,000 by posting a story. The story talked about a homeless manwho parted with his last USD 20 to help a stranded commuter on a highway in the United States. It was later revealed that the entire story was feigned only to raise money for personal benefits of the perpetrators.
This is not an isolated case. Fake news can involve propagating false narratives with a motive to either get more traffic for the website or influence voters to cast their votes for a particular political party or instigate hate and violence among members of different groups or for such other unethical and immoral purposes. The hazard of fake news can be construed from the fact that it may go to the extent of inducing people to attack someone violently, thereby causing loss of innocent lives.
That said, it’s time to know how we can help the authorities fight this menace. It’s simple. Yes, it is. What it solely demands is a basic fact check for any doubtful news that we come across.WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and other such platforms have become a breeding ground for fake news. And we are all users. As responsible users, it is incumbent upon us that prior to pressing the forward button on our mobile or computer screens, we make sure that the news isn’t manufactured with ill-intentions. What can you do? Simply google the content and look for related content on reliable sources such as prominent news websites and even Wikipedia. Should the search reveal doubts in the story, avoid any sort of involvement.
Although the aforementioned social media entities are coming up with new technology to tackle fake news on their respective platforms, the major chunk of responsibility is ours, for we are the ones who believe and react to such stories and unknowingly further the cause of the perpetrator.As youth, you are the one who must educate vulnerable people about the existence of the menace of fake news and ways that can curb the problem.
Make it a point, to at least talk about the subject with your parents, especially mothers who are housewives and can easily fall prey to fake news, and other users of social media including blue-collar staffers in your schools and colleges and workplaces. Together we can put an end to the issue.
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