An Era of Fake News and Violence: Where are we Heading?

You might have come across various posts and daily rumors in Whatsapp and Facebook which seem realistic enough to believe at first sight. We stumble across several such news reports which are total rubbish but framed in such a way that it looks too realistic and appealing. Such news pieces are designed in such a manner that it suits our agenda and hence compels us to share it innumerable times till it satisfies our own mania. Some of these news are funny enough to actually even believe them. Examples of such news are as follows. One particular whatsapp forward warns that an HIV-infected worker has mixed his blood with the fruit drink Maaza or Cadbury Dairy Milk and hence asks us to stop buying Maaza drinks and Dairy Milk chocolates. Heights of dull fantasy! There are numerous such dumb and laughable news which are forwarded on a daily basis through social media. Indians fall prey to such reports rather easily and believe them almost blindly. The frightening thing is how violently the public reacts to these nowadays. The latest fake rumor to have caught people's attention is the one which states that Google has removed Karbi Anglong from its maps. Slow claps to each and everyone believing it. 

The recent mob lynching of two young Assamese youths, on the suspicion that they were child abductors was a result of fake news circulated among the local people. It will go down as one of the most unfortunate incidents to have happened in this country. Mob culture is itself in the poorest taste of human culture. And to top it, happened as a reaction of false news is even sadder. This is not the first time this has happened. Two men were lynched on the streets after rumors spread that child lifters from the Northern part of our country sneaked inside the state as child lifters in Tamil Nadu (Read more). In the same state, a woman was also lynched to death on the suspicion of being a child abductor after fake whatsapp videos went viral (Read here). Also, in Telangana, a 52-year old woman was lynched to death after fake kidnapping rumors spread through Whatsapp (Read more). The lynchings don't limit to just these recent 'child abductors' rumors. Remember the Dadri lynchings where Akhlaq was thrashed to death on suspicion of stealing and slaughtering a calf? Even that sad incident occurred when rumors about the same spread through the locals. So this entire 'spreading of fake news and rumors' phenomenon should be taken seriously and dealt with.

So what's the remedy?

Is there no escape from fake news and rumors?

Will it continue to affect our lives in such a horrible manner?

False news and rumors will seldom cease from being in existence unless people will stop sharing it. This has seriously gone out of hand  Unlike earlier times, internet is available to almost everyone at pocket-friendly prices which further drives this turmoil. Many will still continue to believe these news without any type of authentication. If you receive any type of such forwards, just do a simple Google search and try to verify it. If in the Google search results you get some authentic news portals and their sites reporting the same, you can rest your assurance on it. Otherwise, you need to dump that piece of information away for the better good of this society and the people living in it. Don't jump to conclusions rightaway. Consult with others too. Also, make others aware of the false information they have just been fallen prey to. Otherwise, it might lead to some serious catastrophes as we have seen from recent happenings.

The recent incidents are too inhumane to even imagine. Two young talented boys losing their lives at the hands of an uninformed and angry mob is really a shameful thing for us, as a society. The inability of the police to provide them any sort of protection is even embarrassing. It is really saddening to imagine what must be going through their parents. The proprietors of the false news must be brought under the action of the law. Hope the authorities take stern action this time and the guilty gets punished. Let justice prevail.

Joi Aai Oxom.

Jai Hind.