FoMO Frenzy: The Spread of Fake News - Impacts and Solutions!

The rapid spread and access to information through social media nowadays bring about many benefits as well as various dilemmas. One significant dilemma currently is the presence of social media as a breeding ground for the dissemination of fake news. In 2021, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology was even known to have blocked 565,449 pieces of fake news on social media. Moreover, the uneven understanding of social media among hundreds of millions of internet users in Indonesia today has led to an increase in the number of people easily exposed to fake information. It is not uncommon for people to unwittingly spread it without considering the potential consequences.

Fake information, or so-called hoax news, is a collection of information that is contrary to or far from the truth and is presented in such a way as to resemble genuine events. Someone exposed to fake news and decides to spread it tends to form personal judgments about the information they receive. Therefore, as discussed in The Science of Fake News forum in 2018, fake information or news spread with the aim of deceiving its recipients can also arise due to misunderstandings.

Why does this happen? There are certainly many factors that can underlie it. However, research by Apuke and Omar in 2020 revealed that individuals with a tendency to spread fake news can be driven by the phenomenon of FoMO. FoMO, or Fear of Missing Out, is the anxiety or fear one feels when they perceive themselves falling behind and losing connection with things happening around them. FoMO, said to drive someone to spread false information, is also related to the desire to connect with the wider world and one's surroundings, meaning the desire to be accepted in social environments.

Issues of mental health and mental illness, for example, which were once considered taboo, are quite often discussed on various social media platforms. However, a considerable amount of information dissemination on health and mental disorders often overlooks the accuracy of information and instead leads to the spread of misinformation. For instance, after many public figures admitted to having mental disorders, there was a confusion surrounding information about mental disorders, which then led the public to "follow suit" and consider mental disorders as trends. Take bipolar disorder, for example. It is not uncommon for someone who boldly declares themselves to have bipolar disorder on social media to be considered trendy, and those who don't have it are considered to be falling behind on trends.

Following one of the impacts of the spread of false information with FoMO intentions, there are increasingly many internet pages that don't want to be left behind, taking advantage of the widespread discussion of health issues and mental disorders. These pages compete to present information on symptoms and even various quizzes with final scores determining what mental disorder participants may have. People who are curious and don't want to be left behind or have a tendency for FoMO also participate and spread these quizzes, leading them to self-diagnose themselves with certain mental disorders. This is, of course, dangerous if there are misdiagnoses, the onset of other diseases, and inappropriate treatments.

Therefore, various efforts are needed to prevent and mitigate the consequences of the massive spread of false information on social media, which coincides with the widespread tendency for FoMO in society to accept this information. Education on being wise in social media use, including advisories not to just "follow the crowd" or succumb to FoMO in spreading information, is necessary. This education can be included in every piece of content created by public creators. One example is for creators, especially those discussing mental illness, to advise viewers and readers not to self-diagnose and to inform them of hotlines or places to refer to professional psychologists or psychiatrists for further personal mental understanding. Another effort that can be made is starting from oneself and one's family. Each individual needs to educate themselves and, even from the smallest circle, which is oneself, relatives, friends, siblings, and family. Especially for parents, they need to monitor their children's use of social media amidst the massive dissemination of information today. Parents also need to be cautious and evaluate their children to prevent them from indiscriminately "following the crowd" or succumbing to FoMO regarding circulating information. This is because understanding and awareness to filter information and the willingness to seek the truth behind it need to be cultivated and continuously developed. Thus, if individuals and those around them can refrain from FoMO in spreading information, especially information whose truth is unclear, the hope is that they can lead themselves and those around them to wisely seek the truth and remind each other.

Referensi:
Buglass, S. L., Binder, J. F., Betts, L. R., & Underwood, J. D. M. (2017). Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact of social network site use and FOMO. Computers in Human Behavior, 66, 248–255. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.055
Lazer, D. M. J., Baum, M. A., Benkler, Y., Berinsky, A. J., Greenhill, K. M., Menczer, F., … Zittrain, J. L. (2018). The science of fake news. Science, 359(6380), 1094–1096. doi:10.1126/science.aao2998
Rizkinaswara, L. (2022, Januari). Kominfo blokir 565.449 konten hoaks di medsos sepanjang 2021. Diakses pada 30 Mei 2024 dari https://aptika.kominfo.go.id/2022/01/kominfo-blokir-565-449-konten-hoaks-di-medsos-sepanjang-2021/
Sari, R. P. (2024, Januari). Banyak orang mengaku bipolar dari diagnosis sendiri, Marshanda: Itu bahaya. Kompas.com. Diakses pada 31 Mei 2024 dari https://www.kompas.com/hype/read/2024/01/19/143303366/banyak-orang-mengaku-bipolar-dari-diagnosis-sendiri-marshanda-itu-bahaya