Dodging Fake News on Social Media

July 26, 2017 12:35 pm

Social media is becoming a dangerous place for adults and children alike as we can see new users like our parents giving in to hoaxes - from fake appeals for donations to illogical pun-intended lifestyle hacks. Teenagers increasingly consume incomplete information regarding mental health and feel the necessity to associate themselves with extreme cases like depression, narcissism and border-line personality disorder. Not only that, social media has become a platform for body-shaming, often perpetuated through fake news about boob jobs and celebrity body measurements. To understand youngsters’ take and reaction toward fake news, Shuvechchha Ghimire of My City interviewed ten students of DAV College. She observed that the understanding of fake news to these youngsters was limited. However, she came across a few unique narratives that were typical of social media users of all age groups. Following are edited excerpts from her conversation with the students.