‘For an online learner it is ethically unacceptable to spread fake news.’
Hey guys,
Welcome back to “Eva’s Ruminations”.
Well, I have been ruminating on the idea that fake news is a real and tangible ‘thing.’
What if I was to say to you the that fake news can be created and published by someone like me. I have access to the internet and have a platform with my blog. This would allow me to churn out information that would generate interest and incite a following that would then give me opportunities to make money out of advertising or became famous. Is this ethical?
Ethics are moral principles that oversee behaviour and conduct of a person or people. These morals are what stops us from exceeding boundaries and standards, however, some people may lack an understanding of morals and therefore exploit things like limits and restrictions. There are many ways ethics and morals can be expressed and the digital environment is a very common and a very popular place to find various cases of morals and also a lack of morals. With recent advancements in technology, it is extremely easy to access articles, podcasts, blog posts and video clips almost as soon as they are posted, causing a faster spread of accurate or manufactured news across the globe. We can all get on our phones and view and publish anything that we think is relevant or interesting. Whether it is true or not. The digital environment can also be a very negative and deceitful platform used for spreading rumours and fake news, this type of false exposure is found to be less immoral in these times of modern technology.
Once fake news is viewed more than once it is proven that most of the world will morally accept the misinformation, with recent advancement in technology being a contributor to this issue. Scientists claim that after plenty of experiments and tests, people respond to fake news a lot better than they should. Research indicates that people who repeatedly encounter a fake news item may feel less and less unethical about sharing it on social media, even when they do not believe the information (Science Daily, 2020). This trend of mistruth across social media and internet platforms is extremely disappointing and unsatisfactory as it continues to spread around the world. The aim of spreading false information is often to mislead and delude the audience into believing fictional information and apparently more and more people are beginning to believe these statements to be true. The researchers theorise that repeating misinformation lends it a “ring of truthfulness” that can increase people’s tendency to give it a moral pass, regardless of whether they believe it (Science Daily, 2020). For example, a person may be exposed to another published article with the same sort of misinformation, which causes them to believe it and disregard any previous thoughts of unethical behaviour. Across the world citizens have become more and more accustomed to believing what is said online, being dependent on phones, computers, laptops, tablets and any other form of technology that provides them with information or as it turns out possible disinformation. But the information suffusion of digital culture has introduced something new into this ancient psychological equation: a whole new level of reliance upon social information; and a whole new set of hazards and anxieties around errors, manipulation and cascades of influence (Chatfield, 2019). These days, it is common for online learners or participants to accept and acknowledge information even if proven or thought to be false.
Incorrect publishing is a common way online organisations, groups and individuals (such as myself), can attempt to gain attention from people all over the world, usually by targeting a public figure. However, research shows that most people believe it is ethically okay for an online publisher or participant to spread fake news but not an online learner as they have no credibility and will be perceived as fake news. People who already believe in a certain set of facts are not going to spend the time to verify the actual source or decide whether it is a brand they can trust (Glocer, 2020). If an online learner was to publish an article or target online actors, performers, musicians, royalty, anyone who is remotely famous to gain benefits such as notoriety and earn a living, is this ethical? These people are usually targeted because of their social status, publishers in papers and magazines like to write inaccurately about these people because there is a high chance that it will exceed expectations and ‘go viral.’ This is because people are more inclined to show an interest in news if it involves someone of high status, as they find any information on these people intriguing and well worth the share and enjoy bringing them down to their own level in social status. This is common all across the world, people are willing to accept and believe news they see on their devices if it appears a few times on their Facebook feed or even in a magazine. It is very common for people to both agree and accept information even if it is proven to be fake news.
Finally, fake news compromises the ethics and morals of an individual’s behaviour and conduct. Morals are what stops us from breaking rules, boundaries and standards, although some people share a lack of morals and find themselves exploiting limits and restrictions. The digital environment can be a very negative and deceitful platform used for spreading rumours and fake news. Research has proven that people will believe any piece of information no matter the source, if the article has been visible to them more than once. It is very common for the individual to both believe and accept the presented information even if it proven to be false.
REFERENCES:
Fake news feels less immoral to share when we’ve seen it before. ScienceDaily. (2020). Retrieved 15 May 2020, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191203094813.htm.
Chatfield, T. (2020). Why we believe fake news. Bbc.com. Retrieved 15 May 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190905-how-our-brains-get-overloaded-by-the-21st-century.
The impact of fake news| Tackling erosion of trust and the spread of fake news | Inisights| Linklaters. Linklaters.com. (2020). Retrieved 15 May 2020, from https://www.linklaters.com/en/insights/publications/crisis-ready/crisis-ready/tackling-erosion-of-trust-and-the-spread-of-fake-news/the-impact-of-fake-news.
