In today’s digital age, misinformation and disinformation are more common. Whether it’s a photoshopped image, a misleading headline, or a fake news story, misinformation can be found everywhere and isn’t purposely shared.
Misinformation is the unintentional spread of false information. While disinformation, on the other hand, is intentionally meant to cause harm. Both are not giving the full story.
There are many ways misinformation and disinformation can be defined.
“In my mind, disinformation is just a lie, a blatant lie, and not factual. Misinformation is like a ghost because if I’m only giving you the half-truths, I can always say I told you the truth, just not the whole truth, so you can’t really call me a liar,” the district psychologist Patrick Richardson said.
Misinformation is not always a full lie; it often involves unintentional misdirection, where people believe they’re sharing the truth but leave out crucial details.
Rumors are also an easy way to spread false information.
“Misinformation can cause harm to others, especially when something has become a rumor and can spread quickly,” Abigail Smith (9) said.
Throughout life, everyone has experienced some sort of rumor that has easily spread one way or another.
Rumors are assumptions that are not intended to do any harm but are more of a misconception of something someone said.
“Media sort of treats us like children, you know, like we’re not going to let you actually decide what to think,” Richardson said.
The media uses disinformation as a way to not give readers or viewers the full story. They make it their job for viewers to believe their side and not the other.
Both misinformation and disinformation are dangerous. Distrust and confusion can lead to bad decision-making and poor outcomes. Especially when both, misinformation and disinformation, spread so quickly with the help of social media.
“When we are constantly scrolling, we just consume what people put out there. It’s important to think about who is putting things out there and why,” librarian Jenny Davis said.
But misinformation is not just about social media—it can also happen in everyday conversations, even when there’s no intent to harm.
While everyone is scrolling on their phone, whether it be on TikTok, a news page, or an article, it’s never taken into consideration that the information given might be false or misleading.
Nowadays, anyone can start a podcast or a blog to share their views, even on topics they don’t fully understand, and with personal platforms comes the dissemination of incomplete or inaccurate information.
“The problem is that so much of it has a spin to it, there’s an agenda, and it’s all based on my previous experience,” Richardson said.
They can twist facts to fit their perspective, and when viewers see that, they are inclined to believe it. This happens because of confirmation bias, where people accept information that matches their existing beliefs. As a result, twisted facts are often seen as truth, distorting public understanding and reinforcing misinformation.
The psychological outcomes of this are anxiety and depression. As the years have gone on, anxiety and stress have increased significantly due to the way they are interpreting the information.
“When people have misinformation they are forming their own opinions or making decisions without all of the relevant facts,” Davis said.
If ten people say that they hate someone every day, then you have no choice not to believe it, and individuals tend to trust something they hear so often.
As people continue to navigate a world full of misinformation and disinformation, it’s crucial to pause and question what we see and hear.
“Unless I can see it with my own eyes. I’m always sort of skeptical, and I would encourage a lot of people to do that,” Richardson said.
