EOTO Reaction 2

EOTO Reaction #2: Disinformation

People may think that lying is simply being dishonest, but different types have different purposes. Disinformation is false information intentionally spread, often through rumors, to influence an audience. People often get misinformation and disinformation confused. Misinformation is information that a person thinks is true but is not. Disinformation is when a person knows it isn't true but says it anyway. 

Disinformation is very harmful but the idea started as a lighthearted community builder. It started in 1620 as dramatic entertainment to unite people. But we see disinformation used all the time in today's age especially in areas such as politics. One of the biggest disinformation stories came in 2016 when it was said that Pope Francis was endorsing Donald Trump. While some may see this as ridiculous, surprisingly a lot of people believed it at the time.

Disinformation hurts more than it helps. In the Russian-Ukrainian war, both sides spread disinformation to hurt the other party and justify their actions thinking they would get the upper hand. Russia tried to say that the invasion was okay and justified because Ukraine was being run by Nazis. Fake videos and images were spread around the world trying to get the public to swing a certain way. These attempts at influence ultimately ended in destruction. Thousands of people have died, been injured, or have been displaced. 

With disinformation being so dangerous it is important we know where to find it and how to deal with it. Disinformation is mainly found online through social media, recommendation engines, and AI tools. We can catch disinformation by simply doing a background check on the article. Is the author known to be reliable? Is the article peer-reviewed? When was the article published? These are all questions we must ask ourselves to ensure we are not consuming and spreading false information. 

Disinformation spreads rumors on real-life events making it confusing for the public to know what's really going on. It can break trust, create division, and make a person more confused. It is crucial to take the appropriate steps to spot disinformation so that the rumors can be put to rest.