scholarly journals The Negative Impact of Social Media during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-507
Author(s):  
Astha Kumari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Fake News ◽  
The World ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government ◽  
World Information

It has been observed that social media platforms have had both a positive and negative effect on how India has dealt with the COVID 19 pandemic. As the coronavirus took over the world, many took to social media to learn about how the virus spreads and what it is. Although this helped inform everyone on how to take precautions against this deadly virus, a lot of the information that users were reading was not verified or fact-checked and labeled as "fake news". In the modern world, information is spread very quickly through a variety of social media platforms. Because of this, there was widespread panic even before the COVID-19 virus had even reached India. Many citizens bought an excessive surplus of supplies such as masks, hand sanitizers, and food, which ultimately led to a shortage of these supplies for the 1.3 billion people in this country. The shortage of supplies along with the lockdown process which severely impacted the economy has led to an increase in price to the majority of essential products such as food, hand sanitizers, masks, etc. The most affected were the average day workers. Social media has caused widespread panic and hogging of essential supplies along with false facts of the virus itself, however, there are some things that we have benefited from due to social media. For example, social media has shown us the importance of social distancing and activities that we can do to keep our mental health in check while under lockdown. In short, I believe social media should be regulated and kept under watch by the government in certain aspects when it comes to spreading information about pandemics like covid19. If regulated properly we can avoid mass panic and anarchy and will be able to survive this pandemic as one.

Spiritualism and the Resurgence of Fake News

2020 ◽  
pp. 222-237
Author(s):  
Kristy A. Hesketh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
News Stories ◽  
News Reports ◽  
The World ◽  
Spirit World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
False News

This chapter explores the Spiritualist movement and its rapid growth due to the formation of mass media and compares these events with the current rise of fake news in the mass media. The technology of cheaper publications created a media platform that featured stories about Spiritualist mediums and communications with the spirit world. These articles were published in newspapers next to regular news creating a blurred line between real and hoax news stories. Laws were later created to address instances of fraud that occurred in the medium industry. Today, social media platforms provide a similar vessel for the spread of fake news. Online fake news is published alongside legitimate news reports leaving readers unable to differentiate between real and fake articles. Around the world countries are actioning initiatives to address the proliferation of false news to prevent the spread of misinformation. This chapter compares the parallels between these events, how hoaxes and fake news begin and spread, and examines the measures governments are taking to curb the growth of misinformation.

scholarly journals The battle to end fake news: A qualitative content analysis of Facebook announcements on how it combats disinformation

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Iosifidis ◽  
Nicholas Nicoli
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Descriptive Account ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms

The recent spread of online disinformation has been profound and has played a central role in the growth of populist sentiments around the world. Facilitating its progression has been politically and economically motivated culprits who have ostensibly taken advantage of the digital freedoms available to them. At the heart of these freedoms lie social media organisations that only a few years earlier techno-optimists were identifying as catalysts of an enhanced digital democracy. In order to curtail the erosion of information, policy reform will no doubt be essential. The UK's Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Disinformation and ‘fake news’ Report and Cairncross Review, and the European Commission's Report on Disinformation are three recent examples seeking to investigate how precisely such reform policy might be implemented. Just as important is how social media organisations take on more responsibility and apply self-regulating mechanisms that stifle disinformation across their platforms (something the aforementioned reports identify). Doing so will go a long way in restoring legitimacy in these significant institutions. Facebook (which includes Instagram and Whatsapp), is the largest social media organisation in the world and must primarily bear the burden of this responsibility. The purpose of this article is to offer a descriptive account of Facebook's public announcements regarding how it tackles disinformation and fake news. Based on a qualitative content analysis covering the period November 16th 2016–March 4th 2019, this article will set out some groundwork on how to hold social media platforms more accountable for how they handle disinformation.

scholarly journals IS FAKE NEWS SPREADING MORE RAPIDLY THAN COVID-19 IN INDIA?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 208-220 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Red Tape ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government

Fake news is not a new phenomenon. With the mushrooming of smartphone users and the easy access to the internet, fake news is spreading at very high speed from people to people. Why do people flagrantly believe fake news? Why don‟t people fact-check before sharing information with others? etc., are still some of the questions unanswered. The panic created by fake news during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak is also not less. Hence, this study aims to focus on understanding people‟s perspectives on controlling the spread of fake news on social media. The respective study is based on quantitative data analysis of the responses of 300 social media users across India, collected online in April 2020 during a nationwide lockdown. The study arrived at a conclusion stating that self-regulation may not deliver a proper effect on controlling the spread of fake news. But, organising effective campaigns to build social media literacy can be one of the potential measures that can be implemented in order to control the spread of fake news over social media platforms. The respondents of the study also agree to bring-in a national policy and a national regulatory body control the spread of fake news over social media platforms. Hence, this particular study can support the Government of India to make decisions to roll out regulatory measures to control the spread of fake news through social media, which is still on the red tape.

scholarly journals Moroccan Social Media Platforms and COVID-19 Misinformation

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-134
Author(s):  
Hanane Aboulghazi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government ◽  
Crisis Situations

COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a massive ‘infodemic’ and an over-abundance of disinformation that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it. Young Moroccan internet users resort to social media for their news, and easily fall prey to the misinformation and fake news they encounter online. When it concerns public health, disinformation can turn into a lethal weapon. This is further exacerbated at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. To tackle this, the present research paper answers the research questions using a qualitative method, particularly semi-structured interviews preferable  in exploratory  research where the purpose is to gain an understanding of spreading online misinformation in the age of COVID-19. Semi-structured Interviews are conducted via “Google Meet” and “Zoom” using video-conferencing among 12 young Moroccan social media activists and professionals. The main research findings have shown that young Moroccan social media users have been consuming fake news about the Coronavirus, which has been especially prevalent on the most popular platforms, Facebook, Whats App and YouTube. Other results have shown that the mainstream media failed to debunk misinformation by subjecting them to rigorous fact checking experiments, lack of Media Information Literacy research in the form of crisis audits and crisis planning, Moroccan social media are ill prepared for crisis manual and conducting crisis training. These ensure that media regulators are not better equipped to handle any  misinformation in health crisis situations. Therefore, media literacy is not only about how to use the computer and do an internet search, it also involves helping young Moroccan people to deal with disinformation in crisis situations, and realize that anyone anywhere can put up a very official-looking websites. These websites masquerade as high-credibility sources that have been spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Therefore, the government needs.

scholarly journals Combating Fake News, Misinformation, and Machine Learning Generated Fakes: Insight's from the Islamic Ethical Tradition

ICR Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-212
Author(s):  
Talat Zubair ◽  
Amana Raquib ◽  
Junaid Qadir
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Islamic Ethics ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Filter Bubbles

The growing trend of sharing and acquiring news through social media platforms and the World Wide Web has impacted individuals as well as societies, spreading misinformation and disinformation. This trend—along with rapid developments in the field of machine learning, particularly with the emergence of techniques such as deep learning that can be used to generate data—has grave political, social, ethical, security, and privacy implications for society. This paper discusses the technologies that have led to the rise of problems such as fake news articles, filter bubbles, social media bots, and deep-fake videos, and their implications, while providing insights from the Islamic ethical tradition that can aid in mitigating them. We view these technologies and artifacts through the Islamic lens, concluding that they violate the commandment of spreading truth and countering falsehood. We present a set of guidelines, with reference to Qur‘anic and Prophetic teachings and the practices of the early Muslim scholars, on countering deception, putting forward ideas on developing these technologies while keeping Islamic ethics in perspective.

scholarly journals Promoting Mental Wellbeing: Young Adults’ Experience on TikTok during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
pp. 9-28
Author(s):  
Silas Udenze ◽  
Chinwe Elizabeth Uzochukwu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Young People ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
The World ◽  
Negative Effect

From the last quarter of 2019, the world witnessed the emergence of the COVID -19 virus that shook it to its knees, and Nigeria is not an exception. While countries were struggling with strategies on how to manage the virus, the lockdown option became paramount. During the period of the lockdown in Nigeria, most persons, especially young people, could not visit places of their choice. Hence, social media became their source of solace. This study examines the experiences of young adults in using TikTok to minimise the negative effect of isolation during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. The authors interviewed ten young persons between the ages of 19 to 31. A thematic analysis of the interviews using Braun and Clark (2006) steps for conducting thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes that describe the participants’ experiences on TikTok during the lockdown. Prominent among the themes, the study uncovered how TikTok short videos  excelled  in  impacting  the  research participants therapeutically;  easing  boredom,  and  impacting positively on their mental health. The present study suggests that TikTok short videos could be a phenomenon  that  could  be  adopted  by  individuals  or  even  health  professionals,  especially psychotherapists  in  managing  or  treating  patients  in  similar  situations  like  the  COVID-19 compulsory lockdown.

scholarly journals The Effect of Social Media Regulatory Content Law in Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-122
Author(s):  
Taufik Hidayat ◽  
Rahutomo Mahardiko
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Electronic Transactions ◽  
The World ◽  
Regulatory Law ◽  
The Government ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Nowadays, information technology (IT) has been used widely in the world. People use IT in their jobs and get the latest information about everything that happens in the world. Therefore, IT has a big impact on peoples’ lives. Information can be found easily in a news portal, social media, and a search engine. This study used social media WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram as the primary sources. In using social media, people can share positive (news, current research) or negative (hoax) information. Unfortunately, messages can be shared without verifying their truthfulness. Many people have used social media to share fake news and bullying. Hong Kong, France, Indonesia and Venezuela are examples of countries where a hoax has become the part of peoples’ lives. In Indonesia, the government created a Constitutional Law (CL), Undang-Undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (CL of Information and Electronic Transactions), to regulate responses to negative information and filter this kind of information. This paper analyses the effect of social media regulatory law and hoax news on social life. The results of this study show that the Indonesian CL could be useful to regulate the use of social media in other countries.

Facade of media and social media during COVID-19: A review

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 142-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumar Chandan Srivastava ◽  
Deepti Shrivastava ◽  
Kumar Gaurav Chhabra ◽  
Waqar Naqvi ◽  
Arti Sahu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) arose in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Soon it spread to other countries worldwide to become a pandemic. Globally, governments enforced quarantine and social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the infection. Mass media and social media platforms played a crucial role in providing information regarding the Coronavirus. Since little is known about COVID-19, various fake news, misinformation and rumours spread across the digital media that panicked people into making panic decisions. The rapid spread of misinformation and stories via social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube became a vital concern of the government and public health authorities. Medical misinformation and unverifiable content about the COVID-19 pandemic are spreading on social media at an unprecedented pace. Mitigating the advent of rumours and misinformation during the COVID-19 epidemic is crucial, since misinformation and fake news creates panic, fear and anxiety among people, predisposing them to various mental health conditions. Instead of considering social media as a secondary medium, it should be utilised to convey important information. Besides, it allows citizens to address their queries directly. Several governments across the world have taken actions to contain the pandemic of misinformation, yet measures are required to prevent such communication complications.

scholarly journals Hoaks and Resistance to Government Motion Case Study KAMI (Koalisi Aksi Menyelamatkan Indonesia)

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-143
Author(s):  
Fera Belinda ◽  
Maria Puspitasari
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The Political ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Media Technology ◽  
The Public ◽  
Drastic Increase ◽  
The Government

oaks or fake news is a serious concern because it has a negative impact due to information that is not ascertained the truth. Especially during the political year of the 2019 presidential election, the spread of hoaxes is increasingly massively attacking each candidate personally and institutionally. The Ministry of Communication and Information recorded in 2018 there were 733 hoaks content. In 2019, hoax content increased sharply to 3,801. The drastic increase in the amount of hoax content occurred from February to May, along with the 2019 elections. Not stopping in the 2019 presidential election, until the first half of 2020, the number of hoaks content has reached 1855. The number of hoaks content increased again in March, along with the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia and continued with the enactment of the Omnibus Law Ciptakerja. The development of social media technology and smartphones is one of the causes of the current hoaks outbreak. The theories used in this study are the concept of hoaxes, social media and the firehose of falsehood, as well as the theory of delegitimization. The focus of the research on youtube social media channel contains a statement from the Indonesian Rescue Action Coalition Movement (KAMI) in the period September – October 2020. Although it is a new group, us members are old figures who have been known to be opposed to the Jokowi government.  The research methodology used is qualitative approach with data collection method through observation of video text posted. While the method of data analysis is done by analyzing the content or content to give an idea of the rush of fake news that has the potential to harm threats that can disrupt security stability, can even potentially damage the joints of national and state life, as well as become a threat to the sustainability of democracy. The results of this study concluded that hoaxes are usually chained and re-forward existing information and that the content has similarities to previous hoax content. This study recommends the government to actively educate the public regarding media literacy to be selective in receiving messages.

scholarly journals Impact of Social Media on Students Cyberbullying Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol V (IV) ◽  
pp. 106-121
Author(s):  
Rooh Ul Amin Khan ◽  
Muhammad Asim ◽  
Jamaluddin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
University Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Common Man ◽  
The Government ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The University

Social media is one of the modern-day technologies as it has completely changed the life of a common man. Social media has brought a revolution in society, but it has developed some negative impacts and crime in society. Cyberbullying is one of the threatening crime in modern-day technology. It has the worst impact on our society. The government has made some serious regulation regarding Cyberbullying, but society needs to understand that what exactly Cyberbullying means, how it affects the mental health of the students and what is the main reason behind Cyberbullying in our society. The research study will try to figure out that in what way the university students get targeted by Cyberbullying, what are the negative impacts on the mental health of the students. The research study will find out that how students get targeted on social media. The research study will also show how Cyberbullying has a negative impact on the aim of university students.

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