By Rosemary Chege
Disinformation is deliberately manipulated information while misinformation is inaccurate information shared without intention to deceive, mainly due to error. In today’s digital age, misinformation and disinformation are major challenges that can shape public opinion and influence decision-making. These two have significant impact on society.
Misinformation has caused confusion about basic facts and this has led to broad consequences. Pew research center did a study in 2021 and found out that 53% of adults have been victims of misinformation leading to adverse implications, especially in U.S.A.
A report by Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), indicated that most Kenyans between ages 21-35 years spend 3hrs of their day on social media. Notably, major spread of fake news is facilitated by social media. This can be so misleading to such young people who majorly consume content from various platforms. It generally makes people have a hard time distinguishing fact from fake. This also undermines trust in those platforms.
Fake news can also lead to panic and unrest. When COVID-19 hit in Kenya in March 2020, physical interactions were curtailed and there was so much loneliness. People were in shock and scared and so they turned to social media which was helpful to some extent. However in terms of bringing solace, it mostly worsened things since there were so many fake stories. And at that time people really relied on social media because there was no much interaction other than digitally. So due to the state the country was in, false information was going viral and it only worsened things. People were in much despair and confusion. Not to discredit the role social media played during that difficult time, but the negative was also major.
There are several ways to fight misinformation and disinformation. They include; fact-checking, media literacy, regulation and detective technology.
While misinformation and disinformation may never be fully eradicated, collective efforts to promote critical thinking and support trusted sources are essential in building a more informed society.
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