Fake news on social media – Should we be worried?

We may never know the true depths of fake information on the internet.  For years people have warned that 40+ percent of the stuff posted on the internet was clearly false and more misleading.  Clearly it is likely more when you add social media.  The internet, for all its good points, is also the place where everyone who wants to create trouble can connect with others who create trouble.  There is no need to fact check or to provide sources on the internet – just get “likes” and “follows.”  You can say almost anything and post almost anything without many limits – the crazier the more people seem to pay attention.  So much reality TV on the web.

So trying to get the message to people about important items is a challenge for water utilities.  The internet can help, and hurt  Even legitimate news can go both ways.  Now think about people deliberately sabotaging you.  And it happens, as we saw throughout the recent election.  How do we combat this?  How to ordinary people sift through the fake stuff and find the facts as most of us want to convey? Way too many people think everything on the internet is real.  But it is not….

I thought this was an interesting take anyway on the depths of the problem.  I see that twitter and Facebook are going to try to address the most egregious stuff, but…..

Obama is worried about fake news on social media – and we should be too — The Guardian