Don’t Feed the Beast
Posted on 18th August 2020 at 18:28
Fake news, sensationalist headlines and false information have always existed on the internet, as a form of clickbait, but we have seen a rapid increase of all three of these across social media in the past few years. All too often, we see articles written to spark outrage and gain traction with its likes, comments and shares rather than reporting the truth.
When it’s something trivial like price of chocolate digestives going up 3p in a supermarket, it’s generally harmless despite it still getting a large reaction. However, in the current climate, we must all do our best to ensure that we only share facts, especially when it comes to Coronavirus.
If you often listen to the radio or podcasts, you may well have heard an advert discouraging people from sharing false information about Coronavirus. It points you towards a Government share checklist to ensure that what you are sharing is legitimate and tells you not to “feed the beast”. Sharing false information about Coronavirus can cause panic and make people more anxious in these, already, uncertain times and for no good reason. This can cause further confusion around the guidelines, local lockdowns and how to stay safe. During a pandemic, we must all work together to keep each other safe and one of the best ways to do this is to only spread verified information about this invisible killer.
If you’re unsure of the validity of your source, click HERE and if you’re still unsure, just don’t share it! It’s better to not share something which might be true, than to share something that might not be true. Don’t be afraid to call out your friends and followers either! If you see something that is clearly false, drop them a message and ask them if they know it is false. This will help reduce the spread of false information on social media and keep the platforms free for what they were designed for – being social!
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