Buzz
Last year, we introduced you to 'Bad News', a web game that shows how misinformation spreads by putting you in the shoes of a manipulative media mogul. Now, the developers have provided evidence that it serves as a 'vaccine' against fake news, and they've made a simpler version for younger audiences.
I tried playing 'Bad News' for the first time today. It’s straightforward—you make a series of choices that take only a few minutes, but the concept is brilliant. Instead of just being told how to detect misinformation, you actively create it using various strategies.
My first step was picking a name for my fictional media company—Honest Truth Online. The game then walked me through tactics like tweeting emotionally charged messages, spreading credible-sounding conspiracy theories, and attacking those who tried to challenge my narrative. At both the start and end of the game, you can take a quick quiz to evaluate the trustworthiness of a few in-game tweets.
Initially, I had doubts: many of these tweets and headlines might actually be true, but how could I be certain? By the end, though, I was tagging most of them as 'unreliable' since they clearly mirrored some of the tactics I had used in the game: impersonating others, emotional manipulation, divisiveness, and more. So, in a way, I suppose it was effective.
This aligns with the reactions of most people, as detailed in a study published this week by the creators of the game. The credibility ratings of the in-game tweets simulating real news were similar, regardless of whether players saw them before or after the game. However, tweets designed to be manipulative received lower ratings after the players had experienced the game. In other words, the game seems to have the desired effect.
The game is now available in multiple languages, and there's even a kids' version aimed at children ages eight to ten. I had my nine-year-old try it, and the game placed him in charge of a fake school website. At the game's suggestion, he spread a rumor that puppies were coming to class and fueled a story about a potential video game ban. While he wasn't surprised that people might lie, he had never considered it as a method of manipulating crowds for fun and profit. Hopefully, he will use this newfound knowledge responsibly.
