"We are being bombarded by information from many sources in our daily lives. Some of it is helpful, some is challenging, and some is anxiety-provoking. The many avenues available to get information may help or harm our efforts to get factual, evidence-based, believable information. Misinformation is just as prevalent as information and sometimes feeds into our desires rather than meeting our needs for reliable facts."
"When people encounter information while using social media, they describe many kinds of thoughts, with these thoughts often having non-intuitive relationships with their subsequent responses, such as liking or choosing to click on a link. People have stopped seeking out news, assuming instead that important information will be pushed to them via their social media networks. This approach to news makes people susceptible to the vast amounts of misinformation online. Our fears may be amplified and provoke increased anxiety levels."
People receive information from numerous sources, producing helpful, challenging, and anxiety-provoking content. Technology platforms collect user data and create algorithms that tailor information gateways to personal accounts. Political, social, employment, national, and local news content may circulate without fact-checking. Social media interactions produce varied thoughts that do not always predict user responses like likes or clicks. Many users rely on pushed content rather than actively seeking news, increasing exposure to misinformation. Familiar factual content can cause disengagement, while novel items prompt further reading and engagement. Misinformation often appeals to desires and can amplify fears, increasing anxiety and complicating truth assessment.
Read at Psychology Today
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