> Just because it’s trending, doesn’t mean it’s true
Precisely. We simply shouldn't be too gullible to believe everything we see and here on the internet just because it is simply trending especially on social media which most of the time a tweet, video or article can also be taken out of context purposefully to create confusion, hype and obviously disinformation.
But on the other hand, I'm not sure if this article is also talking about the BBC here, since the dreadful Newsbeat and entertainment sections has lots of this clickbait and fake-news level nonsense which look as if it were imported from Buzzfeed.
It takes 2 things for a news to be believable: it needs authority, that is to come from sources you're inclined to believe or to be repeated many times, but it also has to fit well with your own existing narrative. The 2nd is absolutely necessary, you will never believe into something that goes against your world views (even if it's true, often). We only buy into stories that fit into the patterns that we're already susceptible to, and world views that we already have.
I think this idea is a bit paradoxical - how then, do we ever change our views? I think people simply reject isolated facts that are inconsistent with the paradigm that explains the greater body of facts. Which is reasonable. Einstein refused to accept that god plays dice, for instance.
Usually we change views in many very small steps, slowly turning from one direction to another. Also sometimes when confronted with a paradox in our existing model of the world that invalidates our previous believes, but that's extremely stressful event and also rare... fake news can't do that to you. They just push the buttons that already exist. I'll never buy a fake news promoting say anti-vaxxers' ideas, but give me something that proves something I already believe in and I'll be sharing it all over (ok, not, by now I've learned to be careful, but I'll have a strong impulse to do it)
Precisely. We simply shouldn't be too gullible to believe everything we see and here on the internet just because it is simply trending especially on social media which most of the time a tweet, video or article can also be taken out of context purposefully to create confusion, hype and obviously disinformation.
But on the other hand, I'm not sure if this article is also talking about the BBC here, since the dreadful Newsbeat and entertainment sections has lots of this clickbait and fake-news level nonsense which look as if it were imported from Buzzfeed.