Inside the spread of conspiracies and disinformation by women on social media

[UCmeNdc]

“The QAnon stuff infiltrated Instagram and seeped into the suburban consciousness of American women to a certain extent, and they bought into it,” according to experts.



Since the internet’s advent, conspiracy theories have acquired followings online. Now, in the era of social media, people use platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to spread disinformation and misinformation. Instagram, the Facebook-owned image platform where influencers tout luxury, beauty and consumer culture, has also become an online home for conspiracies. And lately, one has been particularly prolific: QAnon.

Researchers have seen a significant uptick in online discussions related to QAnon — a far-right conspiracy theory — across multiple digital platforms this year. In March, membership within QAnon Facebook groups increased by 120 percent; one journalist tracking the impact of QAnon found that between January and August, the biggest Instagram “Q” accounts “generated 63 million interactions and 133 million video views.”

What is disinformation and how is it different from misinformation?
Misinformation is the inadvertent sharing of false information. Disinformation is the deliberate creation and sharing of information known to be false.

Claire Wardle — the founder of First Draft, a nonprofit focused on research and practice to address mis- and disinformation — identified seven distinct types of problematic content in the information ecosystem. Each type sits on a scale that loosely measures the intent to deceive, from satire or parody to intentionally fabricated content.

What is QAnon?
QAnon is a “wide-ranging conspiracy theory that claims that an elite group of child-trafficking pedophiles (mostly democratic politicians) have been ruling the world for a number of decades and that President Donald Trump has a secret plan in place to bring this group to justice,” according to a 2020 report published by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think tank that tracks online extremism.



https://www.rawstory.com/2020/11/inside-the-spread-of-conspiracies-and-disinformation-by-women-on-social-media/

[Dorian Gray]

1. I have to say

I see more men reposting Qanon BS than women. (Though I do see both, from my suburban hometown, re-posting articles.)

Funmly enough, the only NYC dweller I've seen comment on any of this stuff was my Mother-in-law. She's reshared some anti-vax stuff, but she soon stopped that because my husband's cousin would challenge it every time. (Good for her. I have a policy of NOT commenting on my MIL's Social media.)

My peers friends in NYC are not likely at all to share consipracy theories. Suburban childhood friends more likely. It's an interesting thing to note.

(Also shows whom i currently associate with vs. whom I used to associate with.)

[underpants]

2. Reminds me of the spread of anti-vax BS.

The right wing has pajama media. These people are yoga pants media.

[John1956PA]

3. I have seen such a case of a Fb poster crossing the fringe and into the abyss. n/t

[JI7]

4. It's the same type of people pushing this . They are just the usual racist right wingers

[Klaralven]

5. Women spread disinformation about nutrition, medicine, child rearing - less politics