Cognitive Ability and Vulnerability to Fake News

Just how bad is fake news? When I say fake news, I'm not talking news that is politically inconvenient, AKA Trump's usage, but news that is really factually fake.

As it turns out very harmful. Even when given evidence that the news is fake, some people are not able to alter their impressions based on the false information. This is particularly true as we age. Even worse, repetition makes the problem worse.


"At a more general level, this research underscores the threat that fake news poses to democratic society. The aim of using fake news as propaganda is to make people think and behave in ways they wouldn’t otherwise—for example, hold a view that is contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus. When this nefarious aim is achieved, citizens no longer have the ability to act in their own self-interest. In the logic of democracy, this isn’t just bad for that citizen—it’s bad for society."