Name: The real-world danger of online myths
Uploaded: 2024-12-04T15:54:11Z
Duration: 14 min 11 s
Description: How do we protect ourselves from being misled online? Counter-terrorism expert Vidhya Ramalingam reveals how disinformation is weaponized to justify violence — increasingly against climate scientists — and introduces a powerful tool called "prebunking": a proactive approach that empowers people to recognize and reject manipulative messages before they take root.

Vidhya Ramalingam: The real-world danger of online myths

The real-world danger of online myths

How do we protect ourselves from being misled online? Counter-terrorism expert Vidhya Ramalingam reveals how disinformation is weaponized to justify violence — increasingly against climate scientists — and introduces a powerful tool called "prebunking": a proactive approach that empowers people to recognize and reject manipulative messages before they take root.

Disinformation is not just online noise; it sparks violence and fear, with 39 percent of climate scientists facing abuse and nearly one in five receiving threats of physical harm. Manipulative tactics like AI-generated images and fearmongering can spread faster than facts, and even lead to deadly outcomes, as seen in the El Paso shooting. A new approach called prebunking empowers people to recognize and resist these manipulative tactics before they take hold. By reaching millions globally, prebunking has proven to boost resistance to disinformation and strengthen trust in science.