A study led by the University of Southern California (USC) has revealed the reason behind the proliferation of fake news on social media. After carrying out an investigation with more than 2,400 Facebook users, the study suggests that the platforms themselves are largely to blame because they “reward” the users who share the most content without taking into account the qualitative component of that content. .
The study focuses on the structure of the platforms, whose role in stopping the spread of false information is THE most relevant. According to the researchers, the key element would be in the reward dynamics that occur in networks, which makes users feel that the more information is shared (even if it is false), the more visibility they will have.
The whiting that bites its tail
Users post sensational content to get attention
Social networks have a reward system that encourages users to continue posting.
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In the first instance, society related the increase in fake news to the lack of critical thinking skills among Internet users. In recent years, it is a common argument to think that disinformation has made its way onto the web thanks to the users themselves, who are unable to discern the truth from falsehood.
However, the study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences largely overturns this popular belief. After delving into the motivation of users when sharing false news, the study reveals that social networks have a reward system that encourages users to continue posting and sharing content.
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The researchers focus on the feeling of human validation: “Due to reward-based learning systems in social networks, users form habits of sharing information to obtain recognition from others.” In this way, habits push users to exchange information automatically, leaving aside whether said information is wrong or not.
Wendy Wood, habit expert at USC, emphasizes what has been revealed: “Our findings show that false information is not spread through a deficit of users. It’s really a function of the structure of social media itself.” Likewise, Ella Wood highlights the habits that users have when publishing, stating that “they are a greater driver of the spread of misinformation than individual attributes.”
Disinformation in networks
Why are users spreading false information?
The key factor is in habits, ahead of political beliefs and the lack of critical reasoning.
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After carrying out a study with 2,476 subjects, the researchers discovered that when it comes to sharing false news, the key factor is habits, ahead of political beliefs and the lack of critical reasoning. Therefore, the most active users on social networks share up to six times more false news than occasional users, according to the study.
Finally, the study sheds a ray of light indicating that it is possible to reduce fake news on networks, as long as the online environments that promote its propagation are restructured. For this, it is essential that there be a change in the reward structure that limits the spread of misinformation.
a popular concept
What exactly is ‘fake news’?
Misinformation is rampant on popular social networks like Twitter.
Jeff Chiu/LaPresse
According to the European Commission, fake news or false news are “those that include untrue or manipulated information. They may have the appearance of classic news, but their content seeks to deceive the public.” We can find them both in written media and in audiovisual formats such as images and videos, and they proliferate on social networks such as Twitter or Facebook.
