Feeling Outraged? Think Twice Before Hitting “Share.”

Policy makers, regulators, and other stakeholders have been brainstorming ways to combat the rampant spread of misinformation on social media. Among the proposed methods are accuracy nudges, proactive debunking of false information, and “prebunking” strategies that aim to preemptively address falsehoods and boost public resilience. Notably, research indicates that misinformation is more likely to trigger outrage and spur social media sharing than trustworthy news. The link between outrage and misinformation is complex, with people demonstrating a tendency to prioritize group sentiment over content accuracy. These findings underscore the challenge of countering outrage-inducing misinformation, which can rapidly spread through political networks.

https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/feeling-outraged-think-twice-before-hitting-share

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