In light of the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, social media was inundated with grief, as people from across the globe expressed their concern for France and its victims. However, social media was also responsible for misinformation, some of which could have ruined lives. The chain of misinformation is an example of the information cascades that we described in class. For instance, after the Paris attacks, a cascade of social media posts incorrectly described the lights of the Eiffel Tower turning off as a sign of solidarity. However, the Tower remains lit every night until 1 a.m. in order to reduce light pollution. Moreover, a Canadian Sikh’s selfie went viral after someone Photoshopped the photo and posted it on Twitter, claiming that he was one of the terrorists behind the attacks. In fact, the man was entirely innocent and the photo had been taken in 2014. A slew of other incorrect information also flooded social media, such as rumors claiming that Uber had increased prices and photos from the Charlie Hedbo incident that were tagged as the Paris attacks. Why then, is incorrect information capable of disseminating so quickly?
An information cascade occurs when it is optimal for an individual, having witnessed the actions of people ahead of him, to follow the behavior of the earlier individual and ignore his own information. People seek social approval, and therefore they will share information in order to increase their popularity (obtain a higher payoff) even if they are not certain that the information is correct. People will share information that their friends read in order to be more well-liked or to increase their own standing, even if they are not certain that the information is correct. This desire to perpetuate information that may not be true is now easier than ever with the prevalence of social media. Most incorrect information is harmless, but it can be dangerous. It also makes it more difficult for people to pinpoint real information, which causes inefficiency.
The incorrect information about the Paris attacks that flooded social media is one recent example of information cascades. This is another reminder that there are many wrong facts among the correct information. We need to be careful before heeding everything that we read.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/18/europe/paris-terror-attack-myths/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/paris-attacks-another-false-flag-sifting-through-the-evidence/5489695