Why Internet Hoaxes are Harmful

When I think of internet hoaxes the first thing that comes to mind is when 11 year-old me would send a “chain text” to my friends that said they would be cursed if they did not forward my message to 5 other people. Looking back, I realize how nonsensical my actions were, but at the time I found it to be very harmful. The issue with Internet Hoaxes is that as pointless as they seem, there will be people who take it to heart and take action to it. In more recent years we have seen Internet Hoaxes surrounding Facebook, Instagram, and all of the main social media platforms. With the sudden influx of social media influencers, our society is at a time where people will believe whatever the influencer/celebrity is posting. Because people are so invested in influencers, the hoaxes become harmful and create a very negative reaction from social media consumers.

Internet hoaxes are harmful because everyone is already worried about the data the government can obtain from our social accounts. It is known that we are being monitored, but no one knows the extent to which we are. When the words “data,” “government,” or “security” are brought up, especially by celebrities on social media, it is natural for people to react and come to certain conclusions. Ultimately, because of societies need to be on social media and follow what celebrities and influencers are doing, it becomes harmful when fake news and internet hoaxes appear because people react frantically and the news spreads within seconds, causing panic and uproar in the social media community.

Below are tweets from the LA Times regarding the current issue with Internet Hoaxes. The second is a tweet from Governor Rick Perry when the most viral Internet Hoax hit the media.

One thought on “Why Internet Hoaxes are Harmful

  1. Jaymi,
    I enjoyed reading your post and think that your ideas were very well thought out and insightful. I especially liked the two tweets that you incorporated. These were great choices because they came from professional, trustworthy accounts that are highly praised. Using two tweets that came from verified accounts enhanced your post and made it more interesting to read. Overall, I think your post was well written and gave me a new perspective on this topic. Great job!

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