Fake News
The videos on this page help explain what Fake News is, why it exists and how it spreads. Fake News comes in three different "forms":
1) "False news stories, often of a sensational nature, created to be widely shared or distributed for the purpose of generating revenue, or promoting or discrediting a public figure, political movement, company, etc.:" dictionary.com.
A lot of the stories you will see on social media fall into this category (or they are simply clickbait - designed to make you click on it - the story is then loaded with adverts.) A good example of this was the ridiculous rumour that 5G spread coronavirus that spread in days and led to some people (stupidly) burning 5G masts. These false stories often include misleading images or Deep Fake videos to make them more believable
2) It can also be a 'parody' of current news - i.e. someone copying recent new stories but putting a funny twist to them. This is done for entertainment.
2) It can also be a 'parody' of current news - i.e. someone copying recent new stories but putting a funny twist to them. This is done for entertainment.
3) A real news story that someone doesn't agree with or like so they call it "Fake News" to try and make it appear less trustworthy. (Donald Trump is someone who does this a lot)
Why is fake news a problem?
Having so many fake stories out there (point 1) makes it harder for you to find accurate stories. It also means that you need to check every story to see if it is trustable - (remember: ask who, when, where, why to check).
Having real stories that are called fake (point 3) also makes it harder as it makes it much more difficult to know which sites and sources are reliable when famous people are labelling false - (remember - make your own judgement, and use fact checkers)
Having funny versions of stories out there (point 2) is not a bad thing really. It does mean that people may remember a story or fact wrongly as they remember the funny version but people regularly remember things wrong anyway.
Fake News explained
Fake News explained
How false information spreads
How Fake News Makes Money
5 ways to spot Fake News