Facebook – We Like It So We Spread It Even If It Isn’t True

Do we really need to be reminded not to believe everything we read on social media? Apparently we do. A new study focusing on Facebook users reveals just why misinformation spreads so quickly on social media, and why people tend to accept those falsehoods.

Italian researchers explored the bad behaviors of Facebook users between 2010 and 2014. They specifically looked at how the participants spread conspiracy theories, science news, and "trolls," or those who intentionally spread false information.

The concluded—Human Interest. They discovered that participants generally tended to choose and share stories containing messages they accepted, and to neglect stories they disagreed with. In other words, if a story fits with what people agree, they are much more likely to be interested in it and thus to spread it.

The answer researchers say is to develop a culture of humility and openness and those who manage social media can help users assess the trustworthiness of what they are seeing. (Bloomberg)