Does peer pressure impact a person’s sharing fake news? Fake news or false or misleading information spreads like gossip. People present fake news as if it were true. To uncover the impact of sharing fake news online, psychologists tracked for six months the social interactions of over 100,000 Twitter users. The researchers found that Twitter users who shared news from US fake news sources distanced themselves from other users that did not share fake news. In a second study, users who shared fake news had more positive interactions with users that shared similar content. In Studies three and four—participants indicated a reduced desire to socially interact with social connections who failed to share the same falsehoods as they did. Study five revealed that participants were aware of both the social costs and the rewards of sharing fake news. Friends! How can we avoid spreading misinformation? Question what others are saying. Sseek accurate evidence from other varied sources. Don’t fall for the trap of wanting to fit in. Resist pressure to conform. Take courage. , Sstand up for what is true, though maybe unpopular. Reference: Lawson, M. A., Anand, S., & Kakkar, H. (2023). Tribalism and tribulations: The social costs of not sharing fake news. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(3), 611–631. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001374

Written by Jarret Bain B.S.