Discussion Group – April/May 2025

On April 15, the Discussion Group talked about Fake News. Starting from a long Wikipedia article that describes it, we covered its meaning, some of its history, purpose, repercussions, and ways to combat its impacts.

Fake news, or misleading information, used in misinformation or disinformation has always been used in an attempt to manipulate private and public opinion and behaviour for commercial or political reasons, and has gained a lot of ground in the present age due to technology on social platforms, where false accounts, AI and bots act to amplify any clickbait. We deplored the shrinking of traditional media, who are now most often copying what is spewed on the internet and described how we personally cope with debunking information. We touched upon the need to educate younger generations to step away from the constant flow of indiscriminate information that bombards us mainly on phones and tablets and exercise judgement in using such devices.

We mentioned that the deliberate spreading of fake news is based on thorough studies in psychology and sociology, focusing on our inherent confirmation bias, and wondered whether humans will become more discerning as we advance in this ever more technological age.

Our next meeting will be on May 21st, to focus on Free Speech.

Dana Dima, Convenor