Title: The Impact of Social Media Networks on Society |
Headings: The Impact of Social Media Networks on Society
The Impact of Social Media Networks on Society
The Rise of Fake News Sites
The Harmful Impact of Fake News
How to Guard Against Social Media Misinformation

Content: The Harmful Impact of Fake News
In some cases, false information can have a strong impact on society. During the previous election, for example, many questionable or fake news stories circulated. One example of this occurred close to the election, when a story that tied Hillary Clinton to a pedophilia and human trafficking ring was widely shared on Facebook. It turned out that this originated with a single unsubstantiated post on a conspiracy forum and was then reposted on thousands of other websites. Social media stories, whether true or not, often go viral. The more outrageous and newsworthy something is, the more likely that many people will share it. During a highly-polarized election, people are motivated to share anything that supports their candidate or, more likely, attacks the opposing candidate. This can result in false stories widely circulating. Even if false stories are discredited and recanted, the damage is already done. By the time a retraction is published, millions of people may have already seen the story.