Fake News: Episode 2

"Trending news stories, both fake and real, buy into what’s called the attention economy, whereby if people pay attention to a certain topic, more information on that topic will be produced.” (PBS.org)

The good people over at PBS have looked into the deeper, cognitive effects fake news could be having on us.

Fake news is not only a problem because it spreads misinformation; it is also a problem because of the way it messes with our minds.

The world of news and politics has a long history of humor and satire; as it turns out, our brains give preferential treatment to humor and the like so it is easier for us to recall it. Considering are brains have a finite capacity, this is a major problem. While fake news stories may often be passed off as humor, we are more likely to contemplate the contents as real since our brains prefer this kind of stimulation.

Perhaps this deeper research into the psychological aspect of fake news could be the key to eventually defeating it.

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