FAKE NEWS —IMPACT ON SOCIETY

                     FAKE NEWS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION:

Fake news (also known as junk news, pseudo-news, or hoax news) is a form of news consisting of purposeful not correct news or hoaxes spread via long-established news media (print and broadcast) or latest online social media

The damage rate has increased in past few years, this is just because of increase in no or internet users. In 2012 there are just 137 million of internet users in India whereas in 2019 there were more than 600 million of users. Also according to the surveys India is one of the market hub for Whatsapp platform over 230 million users, which plays the vital role in spreading fake news.

FEW LATEST  EXAMPLES OF FAKE NEWS:

• Coronavirus:

Wrong Information related to the coronavirus spread through social media only like one of the Political activist Swami Chakrapani and Member of the Legislative Assembly Suman Haripriya claimed that drinking cow urine and applying cow dung on the body can cure COVID-19 which was further criticized by the chief scientist of WHO Soumya Swaminathan. Many Mis leading information related to the COVID-19 was spread on social platforms like during Janta Curfew, life of the virus is just 12 hours so rem 3 aining at home for 14 hrs will break the chain of the virus. After 24 th March declaration for the help of needy people there were rumors that lockdown could be extended but to stop the rumors the cabinet secretary claim that there is no such plan.

•India General Elections 2019:

There was much Misleading information during 2019 elections, which were totally fake and was totally unauthorized. Wrong information was widespread at all levels of society during the campaigning duration in the election. It was spread that this election will be India’s first WhatsApp elections”, where Whatsapp is being used as tool by many outsiders or terrorist agency.

India has more than 22 languages and it’s become quite impossible to check all the language operated facebook or other online platform regularly during the time of elections. Still many were under the inspection whereas many left as sindhi, odia, kannada etc. Facebook also support India agencies and deleted 1 million accounts a day which also include accounts who spread misleading information.

•Kashmir or Article 370:

Wrong information or fake news related to Kashmir were widely spread during the confirmation or passing the article 370 in the state. Many Pictures were displayed during the instances which were originally from Syrian or from Iraqi civil war. They were displayed just to enhance the Kashmir conflict. There were many cases or instances which all were affected because of Fake news or morphed pictures. Such types of news affect the society or the image or worse up the situation.

EFFECTS OF FAKE NEWS ON SOCIETY:

“Fake news is not new, it has been around for centuries, but the technical tools that exist today, coupled with increasing distrust of the mainstream media, have proved to be logarithmic multipliers of the potential of false information.”

Through this platform the misleading information can be send six time faster than the normal news. This misleading information can impact on different ways like:

1. Impact On Health: If there is a hoax news related to the particular item to intake during a particular time and user or viewer start doing the same then it will effect to his/ her health. For example Cow urine during covid 19 can give you other many health issues.

2. Racist Idea: Such type of fake news or hoax news build fear factor in the mind of the citizen. People don’t trust anyone else or any other religion who may be their neighbor from last many years. For example during the riot in Seelampur neighbors ware fighting as they belongs to different community.

3. Fear: People don’t feel safe at one place due to misleading information related to the community or place were going on. Like in Kashmir people feel unsafe to live over there after 2016 riots by local teenagers. Many families who all were financial strong migrate from there because of fear only.

4. Bullying and violence against innocent person: False rumors or video many a times build any persons or individuals character. Through such type of activity an individual get harassed or face bullying in society. Individual may be targeted through insults and threats which he/ she may face and many a time his family too.

5. Democratic Impacts: To whom I should vote? Such type of questions arises in every citizen’s mind after the misleading videos or clips or information publishes in related to the candidate. It is now said that media always play important role in building any politicians image, positively or negatively in the mind of the voters. Like media plays vital role in 2014 elections in building up the positive image of Mr. Narendra Modi.

CONCLUSION:

Effects of various Social media like Facebook, Twitter, You-tube, Instagram and many more app are there like Whatsapp, Line, Messenger etc give us many reason to work upon on this fake news series. In this era we all are connected with some or the other type of social media platform, from where we always get daily basis news or updates. We come to know about the daily news like human trafficking, women’s equality, environment crisis, ups & downs in the field of political, social, economical, cultural environment. In last two decades social media plays important role in filling up the gap between the cultural. It provides us all the information within the matter of seconds.

So there should be double check or double edge sword for any type of information transformed. Fake news is always a threat for any country in the world which should be checked collectively, it’s not an individual person or country’s effort to come out from such type of web.

                                                                                                       ~Written by;

                                                                                    Yaswanth