Analysis on the Effects of Misinformation: Taking Facebook as an Example

Abstract

Nowadays, misinformation is widely spread on the Internet. It affects people's minds, defining what they think. Social media platforms such as Facebook started working on solutions, but they have not defeated the issues yet. The following content of this paper analyzes the effects of misinformation in detail, suggesting some possible ways to improve public consciousness. It applies the Two-Step Flow Theory of Communication and Agenda Setting Theory to the current issues on Facebook, empathizing the need to address them properly. The research conducted showed that misinformation is especially harmful to information society, in which information is significant for economic, political, and cultural activity. It misleads inadvertently, diminishing the role of truth in reality and the Internet. The application of the Two-Step Flow Theory of Communication and Agenda Setting Theory revealed that social media now determines the social agenda, with bloggers and influences perceived as more credible news informers for people than average news reportages. To address the effects of misinformation, either Facebook or the US government or the US population itself should equally contribute to fighting against misinformation by spreading awareness of the problem in the country. They should organize more initiatives promoting people's immunity to misinformation on the Internet. Only spreading awareness of the problem could help individuals critically evaluate every post they see and remain true to their personal opinions and minds.