It happens almost every day, and it happened again from this morning (Saturday): endless rumors were spread on WhatsApp, apps and social networks about the rescue of hostages. IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Hagari was forced for the third time today to deny the false information that repeatedly harms the worried families.
In one of the messages, Hagari repeated his request: “In recent hours, unfounded rumors have been spreading about the rescue of kidnapped people. I ask the public to listen to the announcements of the official authorities only and to avoid spreading false rumors that harm the families of the kidnapped and the public.” Even in many messages in the past, in which, as mentioned, rumors about the rescue of kidnapped and dead people were spread, Gerry had to call on the public repeatedly to stop the offensive information.
“The great stress reduces the control over impulsivity,” she explains Dr. Eidit Gutman a clinical psychologist from Tel Aviv University, “When the keyboard is available, and everyone can publish as they please in any medium, their chances of using it are higher. In recent years, it has become clear that the human capacity for restraint is decreasing, and in this period, when we are all on edge, when with every buzz we look away to to check whether it’s the helicopter bringing the wounded or a missile, the stackers wears away the willpower we had to hold back.”
Dr. Gutman adds that the drive to gain attention also affects the spread of malicious and offensive rumors: “There is a never-ending battle for likes and attention. People want to stay in the loop, and our reward system is very sensitive to those social reinforcements. The likes and attention cause a burst of dopamine, the pleasure center of the brain. It is a strong, addictive effect with tolerance characteristics. In other words, the likes I will receive now will no longer be enough for me tomorrow and we will want more. Also, the age of conspiracy theories that are constantly being spread, amplifies impulsiveness, and the recklessness with which lies or unverified and offensive information is spread.”
“In the age of media and fast publicity people can gain attention or publicity even if they have no special skills or extraordinary achievements” he explains Efi Gila medical psychologist, “This emphasizes the temporary and superficial nature of fame in the modern world, where anyone can be in the center of things for a short time and then quickly be forgotten. The connection between 15 minutes of fame and narcissistic needs is particularly prominent in the age of social authority.”
“When people publish a post or message, they are often looking for recognition, attention and approval from the environment. Likes, comments and shares serve as an external measure of self-worth, and provide a momentary sense of pleasure. In today’s digital world, where everything happens quickly, the feeling is that anyone can achieve moments of fame Small ones, which strengthen one’s self-image and the feeling that one is valued and recognized – even if only for a short period of time,” Gil adds.
“Spreading rumors based on unsubstantiated information can provoke severe reactions in the families of the abductees,” concludes Gil, “starting with intense anticipation for the return of their relatives, arousal of great hope and can end with falling into an abyss of grief and sorrow when the expectations are not realized and the uncertainty about their loved ones remains as it was or alternatively Hope becomes a realized knowledge of loss. This emotional upheaval increases the plight of families who have been moving between despair and hope for more than a year.”