The Generation and Harm of Internet Rumors

Shi Chuntao of Qingdao Net Police Detachment

With the rapid development of Internet technology, the network has become an important tool for people to transmit information, study and work, make friends and express their feelings. But at the same time, the openness, virtuality and secrecy of the network also make it a place to vent negative emotions. In particular, all kinds of network rumors happen from time to time. If they are allowed to fill the cyberspace, they will continuously impact the social trust system and seriously disrupt people’s daily life and social harmony and stability.

First, the causes of online rumors

(1) The progress of science and technology, such as information technology and genetic engineering, has brought uncertainty to modern human social life, aggravated the panic psychology of public life and created conditions for the emergence of rumors.

(2) Due to historical reasons, some people’s low level of knowledge, limited scientific knowledge and blind worship of science provide an opportunity for the spread of rumors.

(3) In the era of mobile Internet, people often accept all kinds of media information before the release of social public information, which leads the public to make blind guesses about emergencies, which is an important reason for the emergence and spread of rumors.

(4) The lag of relevant Internet laws and regulations makes it difficult to investigate the legal responsibility for the consequences caused by many new communication behaviors, and the cost and risk of spreading harmful information such as rumors are greatly reduced, which objectively encourages its breeding and spread.

(5) Driven by commercial interests, some enterprises and individuals fabricate rumors to attack their opponents in order to satisfy their own selfish interests, regardless of social morality, resulting in online public opinion getting farther and farther away from the truth.

(VI) For the purpose of self-hype and marketing promotion, network promoters and self-media operators deliberately fabricate and spread rumors on the Internet to attract attention, increase click-through rate and raise popularity, thus strengthening the spread of rumors and becoming the main force to manufacture and spread rumors.

(7) Online rumor information is often deceptive, and netizens forward it to relatives and friends without screening and verification for the purpose of goodwill reminder, which objectively contributes to the spread of rumors.

Second, the classification and harm of online rumors

Common online rumors are mainly divided into false disasters, false terror information, false warnings, social production, food and product safety, children’s safety, scientific knowledge rumors and other types.

(A) false disaster rumors

Mainly to fabricate information about the impending disaster, or to fabricate and exaggerate the harmful information of the disaster that has occurred. Such rumors take advantage of people’s fear of disasters, which can easily cause social panic, seriously disrupt social order and affect social stability. For example, before typhoon Lichima landed in our city in August this year, Xu, a netizen from Jimo, made a small video of the online rumor that "there was a mudslide in the Yangkou Tunnel in Laoshan" and was punished by the public security organs for administrative detention for 5 days.

(2) False terrorist information rumors

Mainly for fictional terrorist information or the occurrence of events endangering public safety. Such rumors are often fabricated out of thin air and alarmist, which is easy to cause public panic and affect social stability. For example, in 2014, Dong Mou, a netizen in Laoshan, fabricated and published a rumor message that "a large number of terrorists came to Qingdao, so parents should not take their children to public places" and was punished by administrative detention by the public security organs.

(3) False alarm rumors

Mainly aimed at people’s concern for their own safety, they fabricated some shocking or outrageous false warning information. The fabrication of such rumors is close to the lives of ordinary people, which is easy to cause public anger and fear, arouse public dissatisfaction with the government or certain groups, and seriously disrupt people’s normal lives. For example, during the Spring Festival this year, Wang Mouguo, a netizen in Jimo, fabricated and released the rumor that "there was a hacking incident in the ancient city of Jimo", which caused panic to Jimo citizens during the festival. He was sentenced to administrative detention for 10 days by the public security organs and fined 1000 yuan.

(D) rumors of social production

Mainly to fabricate false information related to social production, fabricate or exaggerate the negative impact of real social production accidents. Such rumors seriously affect the social and economic order, and easily lead to social panic and chaos. For example, on the eve of the "Shanghe Qingdao Summit" in June 2018, Li, an operator of the media number in our city, fabricated a rumor message that "all gas stations in the city are closed for business", which caused the citizens to queue up to refuel overnight, seriously disrupting social order and being criminally detained by the public security organs according to law.

(5) Food and product safety rumors

Mainly to fabricate or exaggerate the quality problems of a certain kind of food or product. This kind of rumor mainly uses people’s psychological characteristics of "food is the most important thing for the people" to trigger public resistance to certain foods or products, which seriously affects people’s life and production order while satisfying their own self-interest. For example, on the eve of the "Navy Day" in April this year, Yuan Moumou, a netizen in Pingdu, fabricated and published the rumor information that "23 people in pingdu city died of H7N9 infection, so don’t eat Qingdao pork for the time being". Although it was an old rumor circulating for many years, it still caused panic in the local area and was punished by the public security organs for 10 days of administrative detention.

(6) Children’s safety rumors

It is a derivative version of false alarm rumors, which mainly aims at the psychology of society and parents caring for children and fabricates rumor information about children being abducted and killed. After the spread of such rumors, it is easy to cause the whole society to worry too much about children’s safety, which is extremely unfavorable to the healthy growth of children. For example, in July this year, the rumor spread in the circle of friends in our city that "traffickers pretend to drive to sell crabs" led parents to teach their children to stay away from the tourists who sell crabs, which added a shadow to their innocent childhood.

(7) scientific knowledge rumors

Mainly under the banner of science, taking advantage of ordinary netizens’ limited scientific knowledge and blind worship of science, they publish rumors such as "formaldehyde is released by routers" and "food is exposed to radiation after passing through the X-ray security machine", which has repeatedly caused public anxiety and increased public distrust of government departments, thus seriously affecting social order and people’s quality of life.

Third, the main body of spreading rumors

Judging from our previous work, the elderly are the main body of spreading rumors. The main reasons are that the elderly have little contact with society, their knowledge structure is out of touch with the development of new technology, and they are easy to believe in the propaganda of so-called "experts", "big V" and "scholars", especially those related to anti-corruption and health. They not only believe it, but also actively forward it. In addition, from the content point of view, rumors involving minors spread more among parents, which is related to parents’ concern for children’s health and education.

Fourth, how to deal with online rumors

After understanding the emergence and harm of online rumors, how should we ordinary people respond?

(a) to establish a legal awareness, strictly abide by the laws and regulations formulated by the state and local governments, not to produce and spread online rumors for their own personal gain, and to cooperate with relevant government departments to crack down on the use of the Internet to spread rumors according to law.

(2) Enhance the sense of social responsibility, consciously go online in a civilized way, speak in a civilized way, do not disseminate unverified online information, and be the defender of a healthy network environment; Don’t spread rumors, don’t believe in rumors, don’t spread rumors, and don’t encourage the spread and spread of rumors.

(3) improve scientific literacy, learn scientific knowledge through popular science books and official popular science websites, and enhance their ability to distinguish various "pseudo-science" rumors.

(4) Cultivate a correct critical way of thinking in life, and think more when encountering things. For the so-called "truth" information of unknown origin in the circle of friends, you can make a comparative judgment by online search, and the information notified by the official account of the government department shall prevail.