TOPIC: WHY THERE IS HIGH FAKE NEWS IN TODAY'S WORLD?

Dear Members,

WHY THERE IS HIGH FAKE NEWS IN TODAY'S WORLD?

We would like to discuss and educate ourselves why there are fake news in today's world?
Fake news today harm technology usage in the community. For example in job search, recently i got almost 5 people blaming about being charged on applying for jobs. There has been tendency for some people using technology to advertise job opportunities but when job seekers apply they end up being told to send money to qualify for interviews and many more activities.
With this scenario it's seen as a misuse of technology.

Welcome for comments.

High fake news in today's world is a result of deterioration of ethics in the society.

Though many researchers have named fake news as technology problem. Personally I argue that, technology is not the route cause of fake news. Technology has been used as channel for easy sharing and accessing information. The route cause of high fake news is deterioration of ethics (moral decay) in the society. Technology has provided endless platforms for sharing and accessing new information. But users are the one abusing these platforms in term of providing fake news which is linked to moral decay.

I say moral decay because, if your personal consciousness is in a good state, you can not share fake news. Any person who share fake news, his/her person consciousness is not in a good state. If you re adhere to ethics principles and your personal consciousness is in a good state, you can not use technology innovative platforms to create and share information which you know that it is not true.

I align with your argument. Therefore with your great contribution it seems we need to educate our societies on good ethics on technology use for today and future generation.
Fake news is becoming a big problem in some areas for example recently we observed how elections of America was. Many said that social media spread fake news to make Trump win but it was not true.
A research on "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election" can be found on this link web.stanford.edu/~gentzkow/research/fakenews.pdf .

As the previous contributor said Ethics and Personal Consciousness matters a lot for better development in the society.
Hacking is a crime and it is illegal similarly as fake news. Therefore, laws and rules should be formulated as well to reduce fake news in the world.

BEWARE OF FAKE NEWS!

In this post-truth age of fake news and ‘alternative facts’, you have to be careful who you trust online…

Otherwise, you might find yourself believing that Desmond Tutu has died (he hasn’t), Osama bin Laden is still alive (he isn’t) or that the Simpsons really did predict that Donald Trump would become US president (they didn’t).

But how can you tell when news is real or not?

CHECK YOUR SOURCES

One of the easiest ways to make sure the story you’re reading is legitimate is to check its URL and domain name. A quick look at a website’s ‘About’ page will also give you a good idea of whether it’s reputable.

Keep in mind the reputation that a news source enjoys – is it known to be a tabloid that plays fast and loose with the truth, or is it a trustworthy news agency that deals with facts only?

Check out other stories published by the same company to ensure it isn’t taking you for a ride. Then check the story you’re reading against others posted by reputable news sources to see if they add up.

Check the time stamp on the article you’re reading; if it was published way back in 2008 but is still being shared as a ‘new’ or ‘breaking’ news story, it’s definitely fake.

Don’t trust websites you don’t know. Pages that are plastered with sensational stories and loads of advertising (most of it porn) probably aren’t legit.

ADD A HEALTHY DOSE OF SCEPTICISM

Don’t automatically believe what you read, especially if it’s a story that seems designed to be inflammatory or to spark some kind of strong emotion in you.

Look for evidence in the story itself that backs up the claims being made. Often, you’ll notice that there simply isn’t any.
Keep an eye out for outrageous or obviously contrived quotes, anonymous sources only or a complete lack of quotes in a story. These are all red flags.

Beware your own confirmation bias, which can draw you to stories that reinforce the way you see the world. Don’t just stick to news that shores up your own position; make sure to spend some time outside of your comfort zone, exposing yourself to diverse viewpoints.

Sometimes, a quick Google search is all it takes to check whether you’ve been hoodwinked by urban legend, clumsy satire or a fake news story. If it sounds too good (or bad) to be true, it probably is.

RESIST THE LURE OF CLICK-BAIT

Read past the headline before you hit ‘share’ – make sure that the story matches up to the headline
Resist the urge to click on headlines that are clearly designed to be click-bait. That’s how fake news peddlers make their money.

Don’t just believe anything that starts with “You won’t believe…”

SLAY IT, DON’T SPRAY IT

(In other words, share responsibly.)

An effective way of combatting fake news is simply to prevent it from spreading on social media. Don’t share articles you haven’t properly read, just because they make an overall point that you happen to agree with.

Make sure you’re part of the solution, not part of the problem