A rumor is a false idea that spreads from person to person in a social network. Whether true or not, a rumor can cause real problems and may lead people to act in harmful ways. To combat the spreading of rumors, we must understand their dynamics and why they grow. Rumors have many characteristics that make them more likely to spread, including being believable, having a compelling narrative, and having a high probability of success.
The first factor of a rumor’s potential for success is how believable it seems. This is often defined by the content of a story and how it touches upon common anxieties that are shared across a population. For example, a rumor about election fraud that mentions discarded ballots, rigged machines, or dead voters is likely to be believable and successful.
Another factor of a rumor’s success is how easily it can be passed on. In an experiment, researchers found that a rumor could spread if it was told to one person and then repeated back to the original speaker in exactly the same way. It can also be spread by sharing information on social media or through word of mouth between friends.
Lastly, a rumor can be more likely to succeed if it has some kind of evidence to support its claim. This can include video footage, photographs, or other kinds of visual information. It can also include a description of what happened or even the first-person experiences of someone involved in the situation. Images and video can be particularly persuasive because they can create a sense of urgency and demand that action be taken.
When a rumor has all of these features, it can be hard to stop it. It can even be difficult to refute the rumor, especially in the case of viral rumors. Despite this, there are some things that can be done to mitigate the effects of a rumor and reduce its impact.
To counteract the spreading of a rumor, try to spark it in multiple places. You can start with a simple conversation between two friends, or you can write about it online or even make a fake Facebook page to get the word out there. In addition, try to keep the number of people you tell the rumor to small. Too many people can derail a rumor by adding their own interpretations or inventing their own facts.
Rumor is a powerful form of communication that can spread quickly and influence the way we think about a particular event or issue. Recognizing its informational and emotional drivers can help us understand why a rumor is spreading and may even support more empathetic—and perhaps more effective—interventions. This framework might be useful for election officials trying to anticipate threats, journalists trying to assess the credibility of a new claim, or anyone working to counteract malicious propaganda campaigns. It might even help refocus the lens we use to describe rumors and other forms of misinformation and disinformation—though perhaps “misinformation” remains a better fit for low-quality scientific journals, while “propaganda” is more appropriate for concerted efforts to manipulate the masses.