eprintid: 3685
rev_number: 6
eprint_status: archive
userid: 69
dir: disk0/00/00/36/85
datestamp: 2017-04-18 08:31:54
lastmod: 2017-04-18 08:31:54
status_changed: 2017-04-18 08:31:54
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Quattrociocchi, Walter
creators_id: walter.quattrociocchi@imtlucca.it
title: Inside the Echo Chamber
ispublished: pub
subjects: H1
subjects: QA75
divisions: CSA
full_text_status: none
abstract: Despite optimistic talk about “collective intelligence,” the Web has helped create an echo chamber where misinformation thrives. Indeed, the viral spread of hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and other false or baseless information online is one of the most disturbing social trends of the early 21st century.
Social scientists are studying this echo chamber by applying computational methods to the traces people leave on Facebook, Twitter and other such outlets. Through this work, they have established that users happily embrace false information as long as it reinforces their preexisting beliefs.
Faced with complex global issues, people of all educational levels choose to believe compact—but false—explanations that clearly identify an object of blame. Unfortunately, attempts to debunk false beliefs seem only to reinforce them. Stopping the spread of misinformation is thus a problem with no apparent simple solutions.
date: 2017
date_type: published
publication: Scientific American
volume: 316
number: 4
publisher: NPG
pagerange: 60-63
id_number: 10.1038/scientificamerican0417-60
refereed: TRUE
issn: 0036-8733
official_url: http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v316/n4/full/scientificamerican0417-60.html
citation:   Quattrociocchi, Walter  Inside the Echo Chamber.  Scientific American, 316 (4).  pp. 60-63.  ISSN 0036-8733      (2017)