Facebook, WhatsApp Failed But Twitter Managed To Curb Conspiracy Theories During Pandemic: Study

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced into focus the growing function of social media in spreading conspiracy theories. A variety of current research on on-line social behaviour have identified the immense energy of Fb, Twitter and different platforms in giving a large attain to unverified claims. A brand new research has shed the sunshine on how totally different platforms take care of the unfold of unsubstantiated information studies. It urged that when most social media platforms amplified COVID-19 conspiracy theories in the course of the pandemic, Twitter managed to curb them.

The research, revealed by Sage journals, requested folks in regards to the social media platforms they use resembling Fb, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, or Messenger. The researchers then put forth a set of questions associated to among the hottest conspiracy theories associated to COVID-19 doing the rounds on social media.

Based on SapienJournal, members within the research had been requested to what extent they believed the next statements:

1. The vaccine towards the coronavirus has already been developed, however massive pharmaceutical corporations had been hiding it from us to extend revenue.
2. The coronavirus is a bioweapon intentionally created by China to hurt folks.
3. The coronavirus is the unintentional leak of a US navy secret experiment.

Contributors had been requested to decide on their reply from these choices — very sure it is false, considerably sure it is false, unsure whether or not it is true or false, considerably sure it is true, and really sure it is true.

Researchers surveyed folks from 17 nations, largely from Europe. The outcomes confirmed that individuals spending time on Fb, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Messenger had been extra more likely to consider in conspiracy theories, whereas these on Twitter had been much less more likely to.

“On common, Twitter reduces CTB (conspiracy concept beliefs) by 3 % on the conspiracy scale… The outcomes moreover present that YouTube will increase CTB with between 2 % and three %, and WhatsApp between 1 % and a couple of %,” the research authors mentioned.

Platforms resembling Fb, WhatsApp, and Messenger are constructed primarily to help communication between household and associates, whereas Twitter largely caters to interactions between strangers, as per the research.

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