By Ali Ahmad
In this digital world, the transfer of information has become incredibly easy and accessible for everyone. Along with this power, the phenomenon of misinformation and fake news is also on the rise. With billions of active users on social media platforms, news spreads like wildfire. WhatsApp, a platform primarily designed for personal connectivity, has now become a powerful tool for spreading information to the masses within seconds. In today’s digital landscape, the term "WhatsApp University" is used to describe people who share news on WhatsApp without any verification. In this discussion, I will try to elaborate on the social, political and psychological impacts of this issue on individuals and our society.
The term WhatsApp University is ironically used for people who blindly believe the information that comes to them on WhatsApp without checking the source or thinking about it critically, and then share it with others. This fact shows how urgently we need to educate people regarding the use of digital platforms and take proactive measures to develop critical thinking in our society.
As I have stated, WhatsApp is a platform designed for personal connectivity. So, it becomes a major obstacle for authorities to take any effective measures to stop the spread of fake news. Monitoring conversations between individuals is difficult for authorities, and generally, the sender has a close relationship with the receiver, so trust becomes another major factor.
The following are the general types of fake news commonly spread on WhatsApp:
- False threats related to COVID-19
- Political propaganda
- Deepfake videos and images
- Violent ideologies
- Rumors causing religious fragmentation
The user-friendly interface of the app acts as a dangerous catalyst for fake news—a single click has the power to spread information to a large group of people. There are some important psychological factors that drive the mentality of people who spread fake news:
Confirmation bias: People are more likely to believe news that aligns with their existing beliefs or ideological views.
Authority bias: Information sent by prominent figures, such as religious clerics or senior citizens, is often accepted without question.
Social proof: When we see the same news shared by many people or in multiple groups, we tend to believe it more easily.
Emotional influence: Fake news often provokes emotions such as fear, anger, or patriotism, leading people to believe it without fact-checking.
Fake news spread through WhatsApp can lead to serious social issues like mob lynching, religious extremism, communal violence, health risks due to fake remedies, and political polarization.
WhatsApp has taken some measures to prevent the spread of fake news, such as labeling forwarded messages, limiting the number of times a message can be forwarded, collaborating with governments and monitoring agencies, and running awareness campaigns. However, experts believe these measures are not enough, as the app's structure still allows for the easy spread of misinformation.
This battle cannot be won by technology alone. We also need to educate people about the responsible use of digital platforms. Digital literacy should be included in the curriculum. Students should be taught how to use fact-checking platforms like FactChecker.in, Alt News, and Boom Live. We need to organize digital literacy workshops for the general public, and public figures should engage in discourse about fake news and the importance of digital awareness.
The writer is a student at the Department of Development Communication, Punjab University, Lahore.