The harm caused by misleading information online
It is true that the internet has brought us great convenience and efficiency, however, as the data grows at an exponential rate, the severity of misleading information arises.
Deceptive news or tips travel fast online, and worse still, they may shadow our routine life or even hinder the progress of our society. Lack of enough consideration, we are easily misled by false information which always appears in bulk on the webpage. Some will alter their plans to deal with the so-called disaster but only affect their normal life; a few may even go further to violate social security and economic trend. Moreover, if the misleading news isn’t corrected soon, there may be a trust crisis between individuals and the government. For example, the nuclear leakage in Japan in 2011 has caused great panic in Eastern China, where thousands of people went out to rob salt after the rumor that salt can prevent radiation, and ended in a turbulence in the domestic market.
To prevent misleading information spreading, government should set up laws to regulate online news while individuals need to judge independently. Only when they work hand in hand will the harm of false information be diminished to the end.