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Fake news is news, stories, or hoaxes that have been created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. These stories are usually created to either influence people’s views, to force a political agenda, or to cause instability. Fake news has always existed. For as long as there has been news, there has been misinformation. But while there has always been disinformation and sloppy journalism, things have gotten significantly worse during the age of social media. The internet has enabled a whole new way to publish, share, and consume information with very little regulation standards. Fake news is such a big issue because knowledge forms our world: we make important decisions based on the information we collect. Having said that, passing on knowledge that is invented, false, exaggerated, or skewed can push us to make decisions that could eventually lead to something worse.

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One of the first examples of fake news I came across, long before I understood what fake news was, is that of a Taiwanese model named Heidi Yeh, who became a global meme after taking part in an advertisement intended to persuade people to undergo plastic surgery at a cosmetic clinic. The picture featured an attractive couple with wide eyes and long, well-defined noses, and their three children, whose faces had been altered to make their eyes appear unusually tiny and their noses flat. The caption read: “The only thing you’ll ever have to worry about is how to explain it to the kids.”

Shortly after, a Chinese tabloid attached it to a fabricated story of a husband who sued his wife when he discovered that she had a plastic surgery before they met, since their children grew up looking nothing like her. The picture and overlaying stories became viral on the internet in several languages, including Arab, English, and Japanese, and became a global meme. Yeh, who shot TV commercials and advertisements for major companies such as KFC, Vaio, and a variety of Japanese brands, started to get less work. Her family, as well as her fiance’s family, also began to ask her if she ever had plastic surgery. Yeh estimates that she has lost $4 million new Taiwan dollars in potential earnings. She is threatening to sue the cosmetic clinic and advertising agency for NT$5 million. Her objective, however, is not to earn money, but to make it clear that none of the stories are true, and to make the companies aware of their involvement in abuse of her image.

References:
BBC. (2015). ‘Can’t hide it forever’: The model who became a meme. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34568674#:~:text=A%20Taiwanese%20model%20who%20featured,own%20image%20ruined%20her%20life.

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On more recent accounts, false and misleading reports on medical information on a variety of diseases have been circulating widely in social media for several years. However, the onslaught of COVID-19 across the world has spread even more of this, ranging from useless yet relatively harmless, to downright dangerous, thus posing a threat to public health. Among these is the assertion that colloidal silver can be used to eliminate any coronavirus strain within 12 hours. The idea was widely shared on social media, particularly by "medical freedom" groups who are skeptical of conventional medical advice. However, it is clear from the US health authorities that there is no proof that this kind of silver solution is appropriate for any health problems. In fact, it may even cause severe side effects, including kidney damage, seizures, and argyria—a disease that makes your skin blue.

Many posts suggesting that eating garlic prevents infection were also widely shared on Facebook. However, the WHO (World Health Organization) has replied that while garlic is a safe food with antimicrobial properties, there is no proof that consuming garlic will protect people from the virus. In certain cases, these kinds of remedies are not dangerous in themselves, but they have the potential to do so. For instance, the South China Morning Post published a story about a woman who had to be treated with a badly inflamed throat after eating 1.5 kg of raw garlic.

Lastly, it was also suggested that breathing steam from a mixture of boiling water, salt, and orange peel could prevent or cure the new coronavirus. The argument was very popular in social media and, in photo and video posts, people could be seen standing over a bowl of hot water and breathing in the mixture. However, it was determined that while steam can help soothe symptoms of the virus, it will not prevent or cure it. Medical experts also warn that individuals must be vigilant when doing so, as leaning over a pot of boiling water can be harmful.

References:
BBC. (2020). Coronavirus: The fake health advice you should ignore. Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51735367

Dupuy, B. (2020). Breathing steam from boiling water, salt, and orange peel, won't prevent the virus. Retrieved from: https://apnews.com/article/8683380135

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Pizzagate was a discredited news story which claimed that Hillary and Bill Clinton used the Comet Ping Pong Pizza Restaurant in Washington, D.C. as a cover for a pedophile sex ring; the back room was allegedly used for kidnapping and child trafficking.

It all began after James Alefantis, the restaurant owner and a popular Democratic donor, had been mentioned in Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails. Alefantis, who previously had a relationship with David Brock, a Clinton ally, was potentially planning a fundraiser for Clinton's campaign. Shortly afterwards, members of the anonymous message board 4Chan started perusing Alefantis' social media pages, citing children's images, basement construction, and Clinton's letters as evidence of suspected wrongdoing. Some users even suggested that some of the words, such as "pizza" and "cheese," in Alefantis’ emails, were code words for illegal activity.

Pizzagate soon spread to other social media platforms, including Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook, eventually reaching foreign-language sites as far away as Saudi Arabia. Alefantis and his staff began receiving hundreds of death threats on social media; protesters also began gathering in front of his pizzeria. But the worst was yet to come: armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, Edgar Maddison Welch strolled into Comet Ping Pong and fired shots. Soon after, Alefantis issued a statement about how the incident exemplifies how the promotion of false and reckless conspiracy stories comes with consequences.

References:
Samuelson, K. (2016). What to know about Pizzagate, the fake news story with real consequences. Retrieved from: https://time.com/4590255/pizzagate-fake-news-what-to-know/

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This section demonstrated the seriousness of fake news and how it comes with major repercussions. From ruining one’s career, to influencing a man to fire shots in a family restaurant, it truly is frightening how fake news can drive us to make even the most dangerous decisions. This is especially concerning given that social media has made misinformation spread more rapidly, more widely, and more freely than ever before. The question, then, is why. Why do people believe in misinformation and rely on misinformation to influence their perception of the world? We may never arrive at an accurate answer, but nevertheless, it is important that we learn how to discern the real from the false, as failing to do so may come with a cost.