A pandemic of misinformation

When it comes to COVID-19, the Internet is equal parts encyclopedia and junkyard. Distinguishing between solid science and utter fabulism is not always easy, and far too often the rubbish is quickly and widely disseminated, creating a ripple effect of falsehoods that can misinform people and endanger lives.

It’s impossible to keep the Internet free of such trash, but in theory it ought not be quite as hard to confine it to the fever swamps where it originates. A new paper in explores not only why people believe Internet falsehoods but also how to help them become more discerning about what they share. One of the leading reasons misinformation about COVID-19 gains traction is that it’s a topic that scares the daylights out of us. The more emotional valence something we read online has, the likelier we are to pass it on. “Emotion makes people less discerning,” says David Rand, associate professor at the MIT School of Management and a co-author of the study. “When it comes to COVID-19, people who are closer to the epicenter of the disease are likelier to share information online, whether it’s true or false.”