Why people believe what they do....

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Many people today believe things that have been proven untrue, and a big reason for this is the combination of ongoing crises and the spread of misinformation. Let’s look at how this happens and why it’s so easy to fall for things that aren’t true.

How Crises Make Us Vulnerable to Misinformation

When there’s a crisis—like a pandemic, an election, or a natural disaster—people naturally want answers and solutions. In these stressful times, it’s harder to know what’s true because information changes quickly, and everyone is looking for someone to trust. During these moments, rumors and false stories can spread fast, especially on social media12.

What Is Misinformation and Why Does It Spread?

Misinformation is any information that is false or misleading, whether it’s shared on purpose or by accident. Social media, news outlets, and even people we know can all spread misinformation. Sometimes, it’s because people want to help or warn others, but they don’t check if the information is true first34.

Examples of Misinformation

  • In 2016, a fake story claimed a politician was running a criminal operation out of a pizza shop. This led someone to show up with a weapon, putting innocent people in danger4.

That incident was called Pizzagate and a similar incident happened in Minnesota where someone killed a female politician and had a list of 70 more people they planned on killing.  This is when Misinformation becomes deadly and dangerous.

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, many false claims about cures, mask effectiveness, and government actions spread online, causing confusion and anxiety24.
  • Photos and videos are sometimes edited to make people believe something that never happened, like a famous case where a teenager was falsely shown tearing up the U.S. Constitution4.

Why Do People Believe Things That Aren’t True?

  • Emotions: Misinformation often plays on our feelings, like fear or anger. When we’re upset or scared, we’re more likely to believe and share things without checking them2.
  • Repetition: If we see or hear something over and over, we start to believe it, even if it’s not true3.
  • Trust: We tend to believe information from people or sources we trust, even if they’re wrong3.

So always double-check any information you take in or believe, even beliefs you had prior to these uncertain times.  I use perplexity.ai  (and look up what news you want to see and include "only the unbiased facts" at the end) because of one reason, IT CITES IT’S SOURCES, no other AI search engine does this, therefore nothing the other ones output can be fact-checked. You'll get no ads, no emotionally charged headlines and just the facts but always double check it if you feel it necessary and try other search engines but always consider the source before believing anything!

  • Difficulty Changing Beliefs: Once we believe something, it’s hard to change our minds, even when we see proof that it’s false. This is called the “continued influence effect”3.

The Real-World Impact

Believing misinformation can change how we act. For example:

  • People might avoid vaccines or treatments that are actually safe and helpful32.
  • False stories can cause panic, stress, or even violence24.
  • Misinformation can affect how people vote or what they buy3.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Check the Source: Before believing or sharing something, see where it came from. Is it a reliable news outlet or a random social media post?
  • Look for Evidence: Are there facts, studies, or experts backing up the claim?
  • Be Skeptical of Emotional Stories on the news or YouTube: If something makes you feel very angry or scared, pause and check if it’s true.
  • Ask Questions: Don’t be afraid to question what you see or hear, even if it’s from someone you trust.

Crises and misinformation can make it hard to know what’s real, but by staying careful and asking questions, we can avoid believing things that aren’t true and help others do the same324.

  1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2025.2502401
  2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11488-y
  3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10623619/
  4. https://libguides.lib.cwu.edu/c.php?g=625394&p=4391900
  5. https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/04/100-days-of-hoaxes-cutting-through-the-fake-news/
  6. https://www.marubeni.com/en/research/potomac/backnumber/19.html
  7. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/comm3p51/chapter/examples-and-case-studies-in-misinformation/
  8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-021-00006-y
  9. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/our-twin-crises-of-despair-and-misinformation/
  10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10914263/
  11. https://www.factcheck.org/fake-news/
  12. https://academic.oup.com/ijpor/article/37/1/edae059/8069297
  13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272720301833
  14. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10087602/
  15. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50898-4
  16. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8458246/
  17. https://fbe.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/fake-news-in-the-age-of-covid-19
  18. https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cjxv13v27dyt
  19. https://mha-it.com/blog/5-myths-of-contemporary-crisis-management
  20. https://www.unhcr.org/innovation/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Factsheet-4.pdf

 


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