Business & Economy

Empowering social media users to assess content helps fight misinformation

An experimental platform that puts moderation in the hands of its users shows that people do evaluate posts effectively and share their assessments with others

Published

6 months ago

November 17, 2022

EP Staff

Written by Adam Zewe, MIT News Office

When fighting the spread of misinformation, social media platforms typically place most users in the passenger seat. Platforms often use machine-learning algorithms or human fact-checkers to flag false or misinforming content for users.

“Just because this is the status quo doesn’t mean it is the correct way or the only way to do it,” says Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, a graduate student in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

She and her collaborators conducted a study in which they put that power into the hands of social media users instead.

They first surveyed people to learn how they avoid or filter misinformation on social media. Using their findings, the researchers developed a prototype platform that enables users to assess the accuracy of content, indicate which users they trust to assess accuracy, and filter posts that appear in their feed based on those assessments.

Through a field study, they found that users were able to effectively assess misinforming posts without receiving any prior training. Moreover, users valued the ability to assess posts and view assessments in a structured way. The researchers also saw that participants used content filters differently — for instance, some blocked all misinforming content while others used filters to seek out such articles.

This work shows that a decentralized approach to moderation can lead to higher content reliability on social media, says Jahanbakhsh. This approach is also more efficient and scalable than centralized moderation schemes, and may appeal to users who mistrust platforms, she adds.

“A lot of research into misinformation assumes that users can’t decide what is true and what is not, and so we have to help them. We didn’t see that at all. We saw that people actually do treat content with scrutiny and they also try to help each other. But these efforts are not currently supported by the platforms,” she says.

Jahanbakhsh wrote the paper with Amy Zhang, assistant professor at the University of Washington Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering; and senior author David Karger, professor of computer science in CSAIL. The research will be presented at the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

Fighting misinformation

The spread of online misinformation is a widespread problem. However, current methods social media platforms use to mark or remove misinforming content have downsides. For instance, when platforms use algorithms or fact-checkers to assess posts, that can create tension among users who interpret those efforts as infringing on freedom of speech, among other issues.

“Sometimes users want misinformation to appear in their feed because they want to know what their friends or family are exposed to, so they know when and how to talk to them about it,” Jahanbakhsh adds.

Users often try to assess and flag misinformation on their own, and they attempt to assist each other by asking friends and experts to help them make sense of what they are reading. But these efforts can backfire because they aren’t supported by platforms. A user can leave a comment on a misleading post or react with an angry emoji, but most platforms consider those actions signs of engagement. On Facebook, for instance, that might mean the misinforming content would be shown to more people, including the user’s friends and followers — the exact opposite of what this user wanted.

To overcome these problems and pitfalls, the researchers sought to create a platform that gives users the ability to provide and view structured accuracy assessments on posts, indicate others they trust to assess posts, and use filters to control the content displayed in their feed. Ultimately, the researchers’ goal is to make it easier for users to help each other assess misinformation on social media, which reduces the workload for everyone.

The researchers began by surveying 192 people, recruited using Facebook and a mailing list, to see whether users would value these features. The survey revealed that users are hyper-aware of misinformation and try to track and report it, but fear their assessments could be misinterpreted. They are skeptical of platforms’ efforts to assess content for them. And, while they would like filters that block unreliable content, they would not trust filters operated by a platform.

Using these insights, the researchers built a Facebook-like prototype platform, called Trustnet. In Trustnet, users post and share actual, full news articles and can follow one another to see content others post. But before a user can post any content in Trustnet, they must rate that content as accurate or inaccurate, or inquire about its veracity, which will be visible to others.

“The reason people share misinformation is usually not because they don’t know what is true and what is false. Rather, at the time of sharing, their attention is misdirected to other things. If you ask them to assess the content before sharing it, it helps them to be more discerning,” she says.

Users can also select trusted individuals whose content assessments they will see. They do this in a private way, in case they follow someone they are connected to socially (perhaps a friend or family member) but whom they would not trust to assess content. The platform also offers filters that let users configure their feed based on how posts have been assessed and by whom.

Testing Trustnet

Once the prototype was complete, they conducted a study in which 14 individuals used the platform for one week. The researchers found that users could effectively assess content, often based on expertise, the content’s source, or by evaluating the logic of an article, despite receiving no training. They were also able to use filters to manage their feeds, though they utilized the filters differently.

“Even in such a small sample, it was interesting to see that not everybody wanted to read their news the same way. Sometimes people wanted to have misinforming posts in their feeds because they saw benefits to it. This points to the fact that this agency is now missing from social media platforms, and it should be given back to users,” she says.

Users did sometimes struggle to assess content when it contained multiple claims, some true and some false, or if a headline and article were disjointed. This shows the need to give users more assessment options — perhaps by stating than an article is true-but-misleading or that it contains a political slant, she says.

Since Trustnet users sometimes struggled to assess articles in which the content did not match the headline, Jahanbakhsh launched another research project to create a browser extension that lets users modify news headlines to be more aligned with the article’s content.

While these results show that users can play a more active role in the fight against misinformation, Jahanbakhsh warns that giving users this power is not a panacea. For one, this approach could create situations where users only see information from like-minded sources. However, filters and structured assessments could be reconfigured to help mitigate that issue, she says.

In addition to exploring Trustnet enhancements, Jahanbakhsh wants to study methods that could encourage people to read content assessments from those with differing viewpoints, perhaps through gamification. And because social media platforms may be reluctant to make changes, she is also developing techniques that enable users to post and view content assessments through normal web browsing, instead of on a platform.

This work was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.

Business & Economy

SVKM’s CNM School Organizes Mini Marathon, Raises ₹6 lakh to support cancer patients

The event was a phenomenal success, with parents and students running for a cause

Published

3 months ago

February 28, 2023

EP Staff

SVKM’s CNM School, as a part of their 25th-anniversary celebration, organised a Mini Marathon Run on the morning of February 26, 2023. The event was a phenomenal success, with parents and students running for a cause, and successfully raising Rs 6,00,000 for the Tata Memorial Center to support cancer patients.

With the theme “YES, WE CAN!” the event saw participation of 3,000 students, parents, and teachers of CNM School. The registration fee was Rs. 200 per participant, and all proceeds went towards the Tata Memorial Center.

“Our school has always believed in giving back to society, and this mini-marathon is a testament to that. With every step taken, we raise awareness and funds for a noble cause,” said Kavita Sanghvi, Principal of CNM School. She added: “The Management has organised this event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of SVKM’S CNM School and through this magnanimous gesture instilled lifelong values and learning within all.”

The event has raised Rs. 6,00,000 for the ImpaCCT Foundation, an acronym for “Improving Paediatric Cancer Care and Treatment.” It serves as the paediatric foundation of the Tata Memorial Hospital, which ensures that every child with cancer receives treatment and support regardless of their family background. It was established in October 2010 to ensure that every child with cancer coming to Tata Memorial Hospital, receives treatment and other support regardless of the family background.

The cheque for the raised funds was presented to the Tata Memorial Center on the day of the event.

“We invite all parents and students to join us in this selfless initiative of sharing and giving. Your participation is crucial in showing that you care,” added Principal Sanghvi.

It is said that charity begins at home. Running for a charity, whether the race is for one specific cause or the cause gets you into a specific race, gives an added purpose to the running. This event is in alignment with our credence as an institution, which has always believed in giving back to society. SVKM’s CNM School is committed to supporting young cancer patients.

Join the CNM School community and take a step towards making a difference in someone’s life.

Business & Economy

FoodTech Kerala to be held in Kochi from February 9^th to 11^th at Rena Event Centre

More than 60 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at this year’s FoodTech Kerala

Published

4 months ago

February 6, 2023

EP Staff

FoodTech Kerala, the state’s premier food processing and packaging expo, will be held for the fourteen edition at Rena Event Centre from February 9 to 11, 2023. FoodTech Kerala will be a 3-day exposition and will provide an interface for the manufacturers of food processing machinery, packaging equipment as well as suppliers of ingredients and flavours for the small and big food processing units in the state, the organizers told a media conference held at Press Club on Monday.

The organizers of the expo, said more than 60 exhibitors will showcase their products and services at this year’s FoodTech Kerala edition. “It is a ‘must not miss’ event for all organizations involved in the food processing and packaging sector to showcase their products and services.

The event is endorsed and supported by Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), CIFT, BIS and FICCI-Kerala. The key highlight of this edition will be the Industrial Pavilion featuring 20 SME units from the state which is sponsored by the K-BIP, Govt of Kerala. The presence of food processing and packaging equipment suppliers, along with the buyers and food processors will give a new dimension to the expo bringing the local buyers and national suppliers together in a single platform.

The receding of pandemic has given a major push to the food industry especially to the small scale units and home bakers in Kerala. “Food Processing Industry has made a major headway all over Kerala, with the Ernakulam district only having many food based units, employing more than 50,000 people. The food processing industry in the district has various products including spices, fish and meat, oil and extracts and ready–to-eat products.

The show will be an ideal opportunity for NRI-Returnees to set up food and bakery units to target the growing Food & HORECA sector in Kerala. The state has a fairly strong base of food processing industries. This sector plays a major role in the economic development of this region and various studies reveal that its contribution to the total output, value additions and employment generation have been regularly increasing during the recent years.

FoodTech Kerala 2023 is organised by Kochi based Cruz Expos. The company has been regularly organising the FoodTech and HotelTech series of B2B trade expos in the state since the past 14 years. Cruz Expos, in a short span of 15 years, has become one of South India’s foremost professional exhibition organiser in the B2B segment.

Organised by:

CRUZ EXPOS

Chingam, K. P. Vallon Road, Kadavanthra, Kochi- 682 020. India

Mob: +91 8893304450

E-mail: joseph@cruzexpos.com

www.foodtechkerala.com

Business & Economy

The Workforce Institute at UKG Survey: More Than Half of Workers in India Wouldn’t Want Their Children to Have Their Job

The survey report titled ‘We can fix work’ entails a 10-country survey of employees, C-level leaders, and HR professionals which was done by The Workforce Institute at UKG

Published

6 months ago

December 12, 2022

EP Staff

The report launched on 9th December, 2022 at the UKG LIVE event happening in Sahara Star, Mumbai.
They survey found that 52% of people would tell their children to pursue jobs in which they find ‘meaning’ instead of being completely driven by the pay scale.
While money will continue to remain a driving factor when it comes to job choices, the coming generations definitely won’t regard it as the only factor.

Standing at the threshold of the future of work, The Workforce Institute at UKG, which provides research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations around the world, surveyed employees and leaders across 10 countries to get a pulse of how they really feel about their jobs. According to the results, India ranked the highest with 66% of employees stating that they wouldn’t recommend their profession to their children or any young person that they care about, while 67% wouldn’t recommend their employers.

The full report, “We Can Fix Work,” provides insight into what parents, family members, and mentors are telling children about what they should value in their jobs and employers — urging future generations to let purpose, not money, guide career choices.

It found that on a global scale, nearly half (46%) of employees would not recommend their company nor their profession to their children or a young person they care about, and a startling 38% “wouldn’t wish my job on my worst enemy.”

“Employees and leaders alike, as has been found in this report, prioritise finding meaning in their work more than making money. We have to realise that with these shifting times, we are navigating towards a generation of workers who don’t necessarily rely on their job for survival: instead their work is more personal to them in terms of adding value to their lives, and fuelling their existing passions,” said Neil J Solomon, vice president, Asia Pacific and Latin America at UKG. “For a workforce such as this, we need to develop a workplace culture that nourishes and nurtures the overall development of its employees, takes care of their physical as well as mental wellbeing, appreciates their efforts, and maintains a mutual sense of respect with individuals at different levels of the organisation irrespective of hierarchies. This, right here, is the beginning of the future of work and employee centricity is at the heart of it.”

Workforce burnout: 45% of employees worldwide don’t want to work anymore, period

There has been a recent rise in the anti-work mindset, globally, owing to the pandemic as 77% of employees around the world want to spend less time working and more time doing things that matter to them. Amongst the C-suite leaders, it is the younger leaders that are ready to bow out of work completely, especially those belonging to the Gen Z (58%), who say they don’t want to work anymore. When compared to the C-suite leaders who are soon to be retiring from their jobs, 36% of the Millennial leaders and 33% of the Gen X leaders are ready to not work anymore. Therefore, a disinclination towards work is a phenomenon that is being observed across the ranks of employees and leaders alike.

Too much overtime affects the employee-employer relationship

If employees tend to work overtime more than twice per week, it strains their relationship with the employer and they’re even less likely to recommend their jobs or their companies to the next generation. This is evidenced by the more than half (58%) of employees, globally, who work overtime 3-4 times per week who wouldn’t recommend their profession to kids. 60% wouldn’t recommend the organisation. The report distinctly shows that more money does not equate to job satisfaction for individuals, as most people have a transactional relationship with work and only 23% of employees genuinely enjoy their work and are passionate about it. In fact, 64% of them would switch jobs right now if they could.

With purpose and trust, 88% of employees look forward to work

Now more than ever, companies must prioritise the wellbeing of their employees, not just for better outcomes in the present, but for their long-term sustainability in the future. Employees in India topped the global charts with a staggering 89% saying that they are committed in their pursuit of greater purpose at work — most of any country surveyed.

What does great look like?

Great Place To Work research finds people at the best workplaces around the world are living in a vastly different — and more fulfilling — reality than the typical employee, starting with the sense of purpose they find in their work. For those at the best workplaces:

90% feel like they can be themselves
88% look forward to going to work
85% believe their work has special meaning
85% enjoy psychologically healthy work environments

What’s more, rather than warn loved ones away, 89% of people at these best workplaces would “strongly endorse” their organizations to friends and family.

The full report, “We Need to Fix Work,” examines feedback from 2,200 employees surveyed in partnership with Workplace Intelligence across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S., as well as 600 C-suite leaders and 600 HR executives in the U.S.

Supporting Resources

Learn more about UKG and why our purpose is people.
View the latest UKG Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Report to learn more about how UKG is making a difference for its employees, customers, community, and environment.
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