Fake news is more apparent now than ever in an era where technology is evolving quickly and it can be publicised on many digital platforms. Currently throughout the world and it has been shown significantly with the current COVID-19 situation there has been a significant increase in the amount of fake news that is being spread worldwide. There now needs to be a line put in place to distinguish between what we do with this fake news. I am for this ideas as I believe that for an online digital learner it is ethically unacceptable to spread fake news.

The most effective way that has been found to help an online digital learner to avoid spreading fake news is to introduce them to blogs and other tools that help the learners to engage in their learning is great to build up their broad digital learning repertoire. These methods can be used as it ‘has had an impact in relation to teaching and students’ engagement with their digital learning.’ This has come from a study that has been conducted in regional NSW at the University of New England.

An online digital learner needs to be taught to ‘distinguish between opinions and facts, fake news and the objective truth’. This can be shown through explaining what is ethically correct to be released onto the internet. That it is only the truth. Avoiding the breach of others privacy and confidentiality. Also that it comes from a reliable digital source such as a journal, .gov, .org, government sourced television and videos and documentaries, all of these sources with have a reference as to where the information has been located from. When fake news is created it can also breach copyright. The fake news may take small concepts of other articles but it is shown to be an idea created by the author. This can mean that it can be plagiarised in some parts of the fake news article.

When being an online digital learner the cultural awareness of others needs to be observed as well as the awareness of the social implications it can have, as well as the individual impact that it can have not only on the person spreading the fake news but also the people whom it may effect. Fake news is the spreading of a fictitious stories such as hoaxes. Fake news has been spread since newspapers were first introduced centuries ago. With the amount of technology around in the modern world it can be hard to distinguish between what it incorrect and what is the truth. Modern democracy has been damaged in recent years throughout the world. The United States is a prime example of their occurrence with the spreading of fake news most commonly about the President as well as many other politicians.

The impact from spreading fake news can be quite small and minor or it can have significant side effects. We see minor articles of fake news regularly like in gossip magazines and newspapers like the Daily Mail, but major fake news became significant in the 2016 US presidential election which can mislead voters in their decisions. There has now been much criticism in towards the fake news that was put out in this time and as to whether this was made up to rig the election. The main reason that fake news is so often spread is that for the tabloids is that it is an easy way attract attention to an invalid events, and this means that people will pay to read and hear what has to be said even if it is ‘fake news’ as it is written to persuade the reader that the fictional article is actually truthful. The way that false news is created is by using other information and making it overlap giving a story that may have partial truths, but this is where the digital world plays with the fake news and makes you interpret the article or story in a completely different way. The most common topics where fake news is created are; vaccination, nutrition, politics and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is a positive thing that people who are becoming an online digital learner are engaging in, and are being taught that there is a difference, as to what is and isn’t fake news and why it isn’t ethically correct when it comes to spreading fake news on online platforms. This may be beneficial in the future as it can help to remove much of the fake news that is currently out on social media platforms.

By learning that the spreading of fake news through online platforms and the implications that can arise when this invalid information is put out there, can help to reduce the amount of fake news that we can encounter on social media. This is why is believe in a positive way it is ethically unacceptable to spread fake news when being an online digital learner.

Referencing:
Anne. R. (2019, November 18) Fake news grabs our attention, produces false memories and appeals to our emotions. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/fake-news-grabs-our-attention-produces-false-memories-and-appeals-to-our-emotions-124842

Gregory. S, Bannister-Tyrell. M, (2017, September 7) Digital learner presence and online teaching tools: higher cognitive requirements of online learners for effective learning. Springer Link. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41039-017-0059-3

Lazer. D.M.J, Baum. M.A, Benkler. Y, Berinsky. A.J, Greenhill. K.M, Menczer. F, Metzger. M.J, Nyhan. B, Pennycook. G, Rothschild. D, Schudson. M, Sloman. S.A, Sunstein. C.R, Thorson. E.A, Watts. D.J, Zittrain. J.L. (2018, March 9) The science of fake news. Science Mag.org. Retrieved from: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1094?casa_token=TOQSNK6Tq-4AAAAA:xY-NJacrM6RLhK-6_lxexe1D1gBvzrTN9B6syvsU-21Khsjr-x-dlABc5hRMwIyszJ8EidZ4jVy1fA