Google is trying out ‘pre-bunking’ in an effort to counter misinformation
In the days before the 2020 election, social media platforms began experimenting with the idea of “pre-bunking”: pre-emptively debunking misinformation or
In the days before the 2020 election, social media platforms began experimenting with the idea of “pre-bunking”: pre-emptively debunking misinformation or conspiracy theories by telling people what to watch out for.
Now, researchers say there’s evidence that the tactic can work — with some help from Homer Simpson and other well-known fictional characters from pop culture.
In a study published Wednesday, social scientists from Cambridge University and Google reported on experiments where they showed 90-second cartoons to people in a lab setting and as advertisements on YouTube, explaining in simple, nonpartisan language some of the most common manipulation techniques.
The cartoons succeeded in raising people’s awareness about common misinformation tactics such as scapegoating and creating a false choice, at least for a short time, they found.
The study was published in the journal Science Advances and is part of a broad effort by tech companies, academics and news organizations to find new ways to rebuild media literacy, as other approaches such as traditional fact-checking have failed to make a dent in online misinformation.
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