Social media sites - Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc. - are extremely popular for good reason. They allow us to connect easily with friends and family, share pictures and video, meet new people, and even network professionally. A social media account gives you access to a wealth of resources that are easily accessed, free, and designed to be shared with others.
Social media is also often used to inform and educate. It offers a way for subject experts to communicate complex concepts in an easily understandable format. For those who produce and consume social media responsibly, these platforms can be amazing tools to quickly share helpful information with a wide audience.
Many of the reasons that make social media appealing also make it a prime target for intentional and unintentional sharing of dis- and misinformation.
Unfortunately, there are people who intentionally and maliciously create social media content for the purposes of deceiving others. This content can often:
In addition to deliberate deception, it is very easy for social media users to accidentally spread misleading or incorrect information. They may share fake content without realizing it. They may also hear false or misleading information elsewhere, then create content with that information, believing it to be true. That content then get shared again repeatedly.
Social media can be one of the least reliable places to get trustworthy information. If you are unsure about any claims you see on a social media post, it is usually best to instead go directly to a trusted outside source for verification.