How social media misinformation wins — even if you don't believe it

The success of digital propaganda rests less on whether social media users believe the actual information and more on how these messages change our perceptions of each other

Nancy Pelosi.
(Image credit: Illustrated | GrafVishenka/iStock, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Warpaintcobra/iStock, MicrovOne/iStock, DickDuerrstein/iStock)

Disinformation is propaganda. It can also be incredibly effective, even when we know it's not true.

Almost 15 years after Stephen Colbert introduced the term "truthiness" into the modern lexicon, news consumers find themselves awash in a deluge of misinformation, fake news, and alternative facts. The problem is two-fold: if disinformation fits their already established worldview, people believe it. At the same time, if disinformation doesn't fit their worldview, it affects people's views of those sharing it. Either way, it contributes to widespread political divisiveness and pits Americans against each other.

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Bree McEwan

Bree McEwan, PhD is an associate professor of communication and technology at DePaul University and the author of Navigating New Media Networks. She has previously contributed to The Conversation and Psychology Today. She is currently a Public Voices Fellow through the OpEd Project.