to be alarmed at how easy it is to spread fake news nowadays

[kalapattar]

Especially if you want to believe it's true.

Roseanne Barr retweeted a doctored picture of Whoopi Goldberg - the t-shirt had been altered.

secondnexus.com/news/whoopi-goldberg-slams-roseanne-barr-racist-meme/?utm_content=inf_677_1164_2&tse_id=INF_305f0050644a11e89329dd0273c7bbe8

People can even alter video so it looks like someone is saying something different to what was actually said.

And then it's retweeted and goes viral. But any apologies and retracts don't get retweeted.

I've fallen for fake news before - and it was something that was believable.

It's really worrying how easy it is to happen. I do worry about how easy the truth can be manipulated - although of course, the internet is great way to get truth out there, it's also a great way to spread fake news.

It is, isn't it. The trouble is the instant 'hit' of social media... people want to be the first to share this shocking story/image that confirms their way of thinking, so they do it without thinking and of course, Tr*mp is the master of this - millions will retweet any lie from him and a few hundred thousand, if we're optimistic, might see the truth in response.

Social media is really leading to worrying times for new, politics and the truth.

I think the scariest thing is that a lot of the time when people share fake news it's not that they don't know it's fake - it's that they don't care. For them, stirring up hatred and making a polarising statement is more important than the truth.

For them, stirring up hatred and making a polarising statement is more important than the truth

So true. I often wonder if something is true and I can see how easy it is nowadays to make up fake events just to stir up hatred and division.

It's even scarier in such a connected world.