The COVID-19 pandemic introduced into focus the growing function of social media in spreading conspiracy theories. A lot of current research on on-line social behaviour have identified the immense energy of Facebook, Twitter and different platforms in giving a large attain to unverified claims. A brand new examine has shed the sunshine on how totally different platforms cope with the unfold of unsubstantiated information experiences. It prompt that when most social media platforms amplified COVID-19 conspiracy theories in the course of the pandemic, Twitter managed to curb them.

The examine, published by Sage journals, requested individuals in regards to the social media platforms they use comparable to Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, or Messenger. The researchers then put forth a set of questions associated to a few of the hottest conspiracy theories associated to COVID-19 doing the rounds on social media.

According to SapienJournal, contributors within the examine had been requested to what extent they believed the next statements:

1. The vaccine in opposition to the coronavirus has already been developed, however large pharmaceutical corporations had been hiding it from us to extend revenue.
2. The coronavirus is a bioweapon intentionally created by China to hurt individuals.
3. The coronavirus is the unintended leak of a US navy secret experiment.

Participants had been requested to decide on their reply from these choices — very sure it is false, considerably sure it is false, unsure whether or not it is true or false, considerably sure it is true, and really sure it is true.

Researchers surveyed individuals from 17 nations, largely from Europe. The outcomes confirmed that individuals spending time on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Messenger had been extra prone to imagine in conspiracy theories, whereas these on Twitter had been much less prone to.

“On average, Twitter reduces CTB (conspiracy theory beliefs) by 3 percent on the conspiracy scale… The results furthermore show that YouTube increases CTB with between 2 percent and 3 percent, and WhatsApp between 1 percent and 2 percent,” the examine authors stated.

Platforms comparable to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger are constructed primarily to assist communication between household and mates, whereas Twitter largely caters to interactions between strangers, as per the examine.