Here’s how to detect and avoid fake news, according to TikTok star Ychan Laurenz

Fake news has been around long before the arrival of the internet.

According to Data Ethics PH founder Dominic Vincent Ligot, sometimes it comes in the form of propaganda, which is being magnified these days with the help of social media.

On GMA’s latest #eLeksyonSerye video, TikTok star Ychan Laurenz shares tips on how to detect and avoid disinformation and fake news online through his depiction of various relatable characters.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Joan Mae Rifareal, people are “hardwired” to believe ideas if these are the same as their beliefs. This phenomenon is called cognitive or confirmation bias.

To detect and avoid fake news, social media users should check their cognitive bias and do the following:

1. Read before you react. Don’t get carried away by emotions.

2. Find out the source of the information. If it’s a news article, make sure it comes from a page that has a blue check mark, which means that it is a verified official page of the organization.

3. Don’t “automatically trust” information and pass it along even if it comes from friends or family, says Ligot.

4. To check for the veracity of photos or if these were previously uploaded by other websites, these may be run through a webpage that conducts reverse image search.

But why are some people more exposed to fake news than others?

According to digital media researcher Fatima Gaw, social media users have historical data, which record all the activity done and content consumed, including pages liked and visited, videos watched, even one’s friends on a platform.

“All of that is in the records of the social media platforms and all of that adds into how the algorithm decides what kind of content is pushed to you,” she said.

“Ultimate goal of the algorithm is for you to stay as long as you can in the platform and hours and hours of consumption,” she added.

“It’s also a way to make sure that whatever you see is something you like and you something you will engage with.”

However, there’s no law that directly addresses disinformation, or the intentional spreading of false information to deceive people.

“There’s no law that address fake news or disinformation per se,” said lawyer Ryan Jay Roset, policy consultant for disinformation for Lente.

“What we have are laws tangentially addressing it. For example we have laws against libel,” he said.

“Hindi lahat ng nakikita online, totoo,” reminded Ychan.

The younger generation is well-versed on social media and technology, but the older ones, who are used with traditional media, may fall prey to the thinking that everything published is factual information.

#eLeksyonSerye urges the youth to help their elders find the right information online and use social media and technology properly so they will not be victimized by fake news.

This may be a challenge, but Rifareal said it could be done through open communication. “Open lines of communication is very important,” said Rifareal. – RC, GMA News