Wrong How media, politics, and identity drive our appetite for misinformation

Political scientist Young (Irony and Outrage) attempts to uncover what makes people susceptible to misinformation in this thought-provoking if somewhat mistargeted treatise. Young opens with recent events that she asserts illustrate the power of false beliefs--the January 6 insurrection and widespread resistance to Covid-19 vaccines--and links both to her own experiences dealing with her late husband Mike's struggle with cancer. The return of Mike's tumor after a period of remission led Young down internet rabbit holes--she began speculating about the role local pollution and medical malpractice played in his illness--that resulted in her embrace of what she calls "conspiracy theory beliefs." Reflecting on this episode, she hypothesizes that belief in misinformation stems from the need "for comprehension, control and community," which people satisfy in ways that are influenced by their social identities, including being too-easily swayed by those with whom they identify. Her final chapter offers "Solutions to Identity-Driven Wrongness," which, alongside exhorting average people to "disrupt" their identities through "intellectual humility," most saliently consist of changes to the media, such as bolstering local journalism and increasing transparency in social media algorithms. While it feels convoluted to blame "identity" for misbelief, only to conclude that the problem would be greatly reduced if the media took action, this is nevertheless an intriguing deep dive into the current American information environment. (Oct.)

Young (communication and political science, Univ. of Delaware; Irony and Outrage) explores why people believe misinformation. She argues that people's social identities are shaped by their need to comprehend events, feel a sense of control over their lives, and belong to a community. Misinformation can appeal to all three aspects, which makes it enticing to certain populations. In its opening section the book takes a psychological approach to examine why fake news is believable and which kinds of people are more prone to trust and embrace it. It also explores the effects of political polarization and partisanship on voters' mindsets, which affects the types of deceptive statements that appeal to them. The second half of the book analyzes the traditional and current social media landscape in the United States to show how the platforms encourage partisanship and the spread of lies. Incorporating examples related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election and the COVID pandemic, Young distills academic perspectives and analyses for a general audience and offers recommendations to combat the spread of false information. VERDICT A compelling exploration of the psychological factors behind misinformation and belief.--Rebekah Kati