People often know that sharing fake news is wrong.

Giving explicit reasons about why sharing fake news is ethical or unethical decreases intentions to share.

Just thinking about whether sharing fake news is ethical does not have this impact.

Deliberating about the ethics of sharing affects intention to share fake news, but not true stories.

The costs and benefits of social media have been well-documented. These platforms enable people to connect with others across the world and to stay in contact with friends, family, and colleagues; however, social media also allows people to surround themselves with stories that reinforce their biases and to be bombarded with fake news.

One significant source of fake news is when people encounter and share stories that promote a particular viewpoint despite dubious claims. Because many of the false stories people view were shared by people they know, there is value in research that explores how to prevent false stories from being passed on.

Research explores topics like the factors people use to determine whether a particular story is true, with the hope that people will be less likely to share a story if they know it is false than when they believe it to be........

© Psychology Today