The Reasons for the Viral Spread of Fake News

Fake news on social media / spreads significantly farther and faster / than true stories.

A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US / has shown that fake news spreads online / 6 times faster than real news on average.

One explanation for this phenomenon / is that people like new and provocative things.

When information is astonishing, / people not only feel that it is surprising, / but they also want to share the stimulating news with others.

By passing it to others on social media, / they can gain attention / because they are the first to post previously unknown, / but possibly false, information.

Also, fake news goes viral / because people in their daily lives tend to think / simply and effortlessly.

It is more likely for them / to believe new information without any proof, / instead of critically examining it.

Moreover, people are inclined / to believe information that fits their prejudices or experiences / even when not true.

In this process, / people easily fall / into the trap of "confirmation bias."

That is, / they selectively accept news / in a way that only confirms their beliefs / and ignore news that doesn't support them.

During election season, for example, / people tend to blindly believe any news / describing their favored candidates in a positive way, / while unconsciously believing news / that reports something negative about other candidates.