Case Study on #fakenews
By: S Ganesh (18110147) and Arpita Kabra (18110026)
The printing culture has evolved extensively from the invention of the first printing press by Gutenburg in the 1400s, through the period of Renaissance till modern day. This period witnessed publishing of elaborate novels, newspapers, stories among various other books and forms of prints. A popular reading culture formed among people of various groups and has impacted the society through generations with the circulation of ideas, opinions and facts. With the onset of digital development, the vogue of print culture has been foreshadowed. Every information on almost every genre is available in a matter of split-second to us through social media pages. Social Media has connected us through thousands of miles, and has made this big world a small village! It has impacted our cultures, fashion, thoughts, businesses, etc. In this debate, we have presented our views on both for and against the mot
Favour (S Ganesh)
With advancements in digital communication technologies and low-cost availability of internet services, Jio’s model in India being a good example, the amount of active users on digital platforms keeps on steeply increasing worldwide. According to research by Statista, there were nearly 3.6 billion people having access to social media platforms in 2020 and this figure is projected to reach even higher in the coming years[1]. The growing concerns of rampant deforestation to generate paper and limitations to access to printed sources have greatly assisted the rise of virtual forms of creative content.
This large volume of people using social media also reflects the fact that the features provided to customers by these organisations ensure their sustained engagement on these platforms.
These act as creative spaces for a diverse set of users, providing them with a range of tools to display their ideas, skills, lifestyle to their social network. A vital component in enabling users on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to reach like-minded users across the world is the “hashtag”. It
has broken the barriers of nationality, religion, gender, economic status and several others, to unite people with similar goals and belief systems in their respective lives.
Intellectuals, writers, artists, poets, philosophers, activists and other creative professionals have immensely benefited from the growth of social media platforms. It has not only provided them with an increased count of the audience which has supported their financial standing, but also as a means of interacting and competing with the content of their contemporaries. This has also led to an inevitable “survival of the fittest” kind of an environment, where adapting to the changing times and trends is an absolute need to flourish. Apart from professionals, the inherent versatility in the features of the “apps” allows common-place users to express their ideologies and experiences with confidence and ease. They are employing un-orthodox strategies to successfully portray their creativity to a portion of an audience which might not necessarily have good literary skills. Incorporating visual imagery, audio effects and customised texts in their content has broadened the scope of creativity when compared to the one-dimensional nature of printed novels, consisting of plain text only!
The presence of large, diversified data and fast transfer of information related to numerous domains on the internet has led to an apparent loss in the attention span of readers. We all exist in the “information age” and as a result, to display their work effectively to the audience, content creators look to optimise their impact. Recognising the need to address the issue of credibility of content on the internet, each social networking platform has developed a comprehensive framework to deal with misinformation as well as disinformation. Even in case of flow of a powerful entity like “money”, fool-proof regulation and monitoring policies help in countering malpractices to persist.
It is interesting to observe that it was the popularity of #fakenews that generated exhaustive large-scale discussions on fact-checking, intellectual property rights, identity confirmation and regulation. This has aided in enforcing legal and technological policies to combat fake news. It has ultimately led to the formation of more robust, trustworthy and transparent platforms.
The top social media platforms have taken a proactive approach in dealing with issues related to misinformation, plagiarized content and harmful propaganda campaigns that aim to spread at an exponential rate across the network. Facebook’s news integrity initiative, Instagram’s fact-checking mechanism through trusted third parties, Twitter’s peer reporting and account suspension mechanisms have set an efficacious precedent in tackling generation and spread of fake news[2]. All popular platforms aim at providing freedom of expression and comfortable space for diverse social groups to voice their opinions and concerns in a constructive harmonious way, which are the ideals of a progressive social-setup.
Against (Arpita Kabra)
According to a study, it has been found that 63% of book sales in the U.K. are to people under the age of 44[2]. Well, printed books are yet a charm. Novels present an in-depth analysis of a subject from various angles and viewpoints. On the contrary, through social media, we receive information as headlines through several posts. Instead of fact-based verified content, we come across opinion-based manipulative information. Let us take an example of Freedom Movements in India. Various biographies and novels, like the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi ‘The story of My Experiments with Truth’ contains uncovered details of the freedom movements. Such nuanced information is not available on social media. Not only novels but even newspapers also contain information in depth. The so-called Gen-Z has left behind the practice of reading newspapers, information comes to us in the form of memes. My concern lies in the fact that do memes provide the details? We came across hundreds of memes about the US Senator Bernie Sanders for his anti-fashion look at the presidential oath ceremony of President Joe Biden, through Instagram and Twitter. However, did any page in the limelight show his point of view?
Stories on social media are interesting, they stir nations, agendas, and garner support for various causes, however, it cannot become the only medium of information. Novels, whether fiction or nonfiction are gems. It has been recommended by the most prodigious people, like Bill Gates, that reading a book is the best way of learning new things. Various social movements, like fighting for rights of the women, feminism, child rights, fight against terrorism, etc., also have various books written on them. These books give a much more detailed insight into the plights of those who are suffering, and why they are suffering. Such detailed readings help us in empathising with the cause in true sense. The print culture controls the speed of spread. Let us consider the hierarchy in a newspaper publishing firm. There are editors on various levels, journalists working on various domains of information. Thus, whatever we read is printed after passing multiple checkpoints for authenticity and credibility. The same is followed for novels through publishing houses. While, on social media, one can share anything. The spread of fake news is such a crucial affair that jeopardizes individuals, firms, etc. Different social media applications have deployed various techniques to control bot accounts, misinformation, etc. However, the spread is by no means under control.
The spread of fake news on matters related to politics, supporting a politician or party through false claims have severely impacted democratic functions and elections. Facebook had suffered worldwide condemnation during the previous US elections for its policies regarding the same. Over several years, the hashtag #fakenews has become very popular. Common people or
witnessers are targeting media platforms and other blogging accounts for spreading baseless information with #fakenews. It is like the wrong number in the film PK. However, still, that fake news has reached several people to whom this hashtag didn’t. However, if it were books, which involve a lot more resources and physical work during printing, information available is authentic and reliable. Also, books just do not explode across continents in a matter of a few seconds. This gives readers and critics time to analyse and review the information passed down.
Book readers collect and showcase the books they have read. It is a matter of pride and satisfaction. Also, printed books are a way to take rest from the digital screen. During the lockdown period of 2020, learning for us students digitised in all aspects. Long time in front of a digital screen causes severe eye strain and other back problems. Excessive use of social media has led to the occurrence of social media anxiety disorder which results in restlessness and depression due to activities and hours spent scrolling on these apps. These apps, no matter how colourful they seem, have limited in-person interactions. In such spaces, printed books open new doors to imagination and recharge our creativity. After all, when compared to the movie counterparts also, we always prefer books!
References
1) https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/
2) https://www.verizon.com/info/technology/fake-news-on-social-media/
3) https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/physical-books-still-outsell-e-books-and-heres-why. html
4) https://the-artifice.com/online-vs-print/
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news
