Misinformation and Disinformation through the Internet

The Internet is simultaneously the best thing and the worst thing to happen to society. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “Well, ChatGPT told me…”, “I saw on YouTube…”, “I saw a post that said…”, or the dreaded “I heard from a friend.”

Now, I’m not a psychologist or a sociologist – even though I was about two classes short of getting my minor in sociology from Fresno State. Nor have I conducted extensive research on the topic, but I do know that misinformation is rampant on the internet and across social media. It is a major problem.

Since the veteran community is uniquely connected through shared service, veterans are active in peer groups on social media, making disinformation prevalent and the veteran-to-veteran spread of misinformation rampant.

I guess I should drop a couple of definitions before I get started.

Misinformation: False or inaccurate information shared by someone who does not realize it is wrong and has no intention to harm.

Disinformation: False, fabricated or deliberately manipulated content created and spread intentionally to deceive, trick or cause damage.

Disinformation plays on emotions. People are more likely to share misinformation when it aligns with their personal identity, beliefs and social norms, and when it elicits strong emotions.

For example, veteran compensation is a hot-button topic and is likely to trigger an emotional response. So, topics like the promise of increasing your compensation tend to lure you into trying to decipher fact from fiction and can lead to the spread of false information. Once you engage with one false story that aligns with your personal beliefs, the algorithm then starts flooding your feed with “what you like.” Content creators benefit from creating disinformation by gaining financial profit, viral attention and high engagement because social media algorithms reward shocking or novel claims.

Older veterans are especially susceptible to these targeted attacks due to an increasingly widening gap in media literacy.

Multiple studies have shown that false stories spread faster than reliable content because they are shared more often.

How to discern fact from fiction is a difficult one, but I found the age-old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” a great barometer. Be leery of fantastical promises, or actually, any promises.

Use trusted sources. Anybody can create a YouTube post or a Facebook story claiming anything. Using trusted sites, checking sources, pausing before sharing, and comparing multiple reports are some of the ways you can fight this battle. Avoid falling for false information and slow the spread of misinformation.

And it goes without saying, even though I am actually saying it, but I digress. If you have any questions about what is real and what is fake, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

Like always, be kind to one another….even though they may have given you bad information.

Cecil Webster, the Veterans Services Officer for Tulare County, is a former U.S. Navy Photographer’s Mate 3. Contact him at the Veterans Services Office at 3348 W. Mineral King Ave. in Visalia, by phone at (559) 713-2880, or by email at TCVSO@tularecounty.ca.gov.