Here's what people said about trusting social media for political and election news in a national poll.
We are all subject to a complex array of personal, social, and machine biases which work against our ability to discern false narratives in online information. Even the human need for belonging can work against us as we're more inclined to accept disinformation as fact when those in our social groups do. Some research has noted that understanding what we're up against can be a factor in motivating us to take action. These resources can help you get a sense of our vulnerabilities to media manipulation.
The Psychology of Fake News: Why We're Vulnerable: "The psychology of misinformation — the mental shortcuts, confusions, and illusions that encourage us to believe things that aren’t true — can tell us a lot about how to prevent its harmful effects"
Belonging is Stronger Than Facts: The Age of Misinformation: "Social and psychological forces are combining to make the sharing and believing of misinformation an endemic problem with no easy solution."
It's Not Just a Social Media Problem: How Search Engines Spread Misinformation: This article includes a link to the authors' simple game, "Google or Not" to test your ability to spot the misinformation.
Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread and Social Media Knows It: "Understanding how algorithm manipulators exploit our cognitive vulnerabilities empowers us to fight back."
Misinformation and Biases Infect Social Media, Both Intentionally and Accidentally: This article explores bias in our brains, our society and the machine, offering ideas for how to overcome them.
Bad actors take advantage of our psychological and social vulnerabilities:
Media Manipulation & Disinformation Online "Online communities are increasingly turning to conspiracy-driven news sources, whose sensationalist claims are then covered by mainstream media, which exposes more of the public to these ideas."