Why Smart People Share BS on Social Media—and Why It Matters.

As organic farmers, we deal with our fair share of BS—of the organic kind. But there’s another kind spreading across social media that’s far more harmful: misinformation. This kind of BS affects not only politics and health but also impacts farming, communities, and the environment we strive to protect.

I often wonder why decent, ordinary people—folks who wouldn’t dream of harming anyone—end up sharing complete nonsense online. I’m sure many of them don’t realise the damage they’re causing. I may have unwittingly shared a bit of  BS myself (not the kind we spread on our fields). But it’s alarming to see how many people, some of whom I know personally, are unwittingly helping to spread dangerous lies—lies that can hurt families, communities, and even our farms.

Hashtags, Memes, and Misinformation: How It Spreads

Just like a small weed can overtake a field if left unchecked, misinformation spreads quickly online. A few clicks are all it takes for a post to go viral, often pushing narratives that are harmful, misleading, and designed to incite anger and fear. Here are some recent examples that hit close to home.

1. #SheWasOnlyGoingForARun – The Murder of Ashling Murphy

After the horrific murder of Ashling Murphy in January 2022, social media was flooded with misinformation. False accusations targeted innocent people, with far-right groups latching onto this tragedy to push their anti-immigration agendas. Organisations like the Irish Freedom Party amplified these claims, linking the tragedy to their anti-immigration rhetoric using the hashtag  #SheWasOnlyGoingForARun 

This not only distracted from real tragedy suffered by a family but it sowed division in communities already struggling with enough. In rural areas, where communities are tightly knit, misinformation can foster distrust and create a hostile environment that makes it difficult to come together, whether it’s for local markets or community projects.

2. #SheWasOnlyDoingHerJob – Attacks on Public Health Officials

During the pandemic, misinformation campaigns targeted public health officials, turning them into scapegoats for everything from lockdowns to vaccine rollouts. The “She Was Only Doing Her Job” meme twisted an attack on a healthcare worker into an attack on those enforcing safety measures.

3. Racial Tensions and the #TheGreatReplacement Conspiracy

The “Great Replacement” conspiracy claims that immigrants are replacing the native Irish population, a narrative pushed by extremist groups like Justin Barrett and the National Party to stir fear and resentment. This misinformation impacts rural communities, where migrant workers are often essential to the farming sector.

Many farms rely on the hard work and dedication of migrant workers to help bring in the harvest and keep operations running smoothly. Spreading false information about these communities fosters hostility and can make it even harder to find the labour we need to keep our farms going.

4. #CovidIsFake and Anti-Vaccine Misinformation

Dolores Cahill and other anti-vaccine activists used platforms like Facebook, Telegram, and YouTube to spread false claims about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines. Their posts were shared tens of thousands of times by people genuinely concerned about health and safety.

These messages were crafted to look like warnings from experts, complete with pseudo-scientific jargon and links to dubious “studies.” Intelligent individuals, especially those already sceptical of big pharma or government motives, were drawn to these posts because they appeared to act in the public interest, “exposing hidden dangers.” This manipulation of trust and concern led to tragic consequences, including preventable deaths and severe illness.

5. The Rise of Vigilantism and #ProtectTheChildren Narratives

Anti-Corruption Ireland (a far-right group spearheaded by Gemma O’Doherty and John Waters) and elements within Yellow Vests Ireland have used child protection narratives to rally support. They spread baseless claims about “paedophile rings” being protected by the government, invoking powerful emotions in parents and community members.

Why do intelligent people share these claims? Because the protection of children is a universally good cause, and these posts are designed to bypass critical thinking by appealing directly to primal fears. By framing their misinformation as a call to action to protect the most vulnerable, they trick even the most rational individuals into spreading harmful and dangerous lies.

Why Intelligent People Share Misinformation: The Power of Emotional Manipulation

Even the most intelligent and rational individuals can fall prey to misinformation when it is packaged to exploit emotional and cognitive biases. Here’s how:

• Emotional Triggering: Posts that elicit strong emotions—anger, fear, empathy—bypass our rational thinking. In moments of heightened emotion, people are more likely to share content impulsively, believing they are helping a good cause or alerting others to danger.
• Social Validation: Seeing a post shared by friends or family, especially those we respect, creates a sense of legitimacy. The more people in one’s network who share a piece of misinformation, the more credible it appears, making it easier to overlook its flaws.
• Confirmation Bias: Misinformation that aligns with existing beliefs or fears is more readily accepted. For example, someone already sceptical of government or media might be more inclined to believe and share a conspiracy theory about vaccine dangers, seeing it as confirmation of what they “always knew.”
• Moral Righteousness: People often share misinformation because they believe they are doing the right thing. Whether it is protecting children, defending freedom, or preserving cultural values, the posts are designed to make sharing them feel like a moral imperative.
• False Authority: Many of these posts use fake experts, manipulated statistics, or pseudo-scientific language to create a veneer of credibility. Intelligent people, who pride themselves on being informed, can be deceived by these tactics, especially if they see the information coming from someone they perceive as an authority.

Exposing the Agendas Behind Misinformation

These carefully crafted narratives aren’t just harmless misunderstandings; they are deliberate manipulations aimed at destabilising society. Here’s what they’re really after:

• Eroding Trust in Public Institutions: By attacking the credibility of government, health authorities, and the media, these actors aim to create a vacuum of trust. This allows them to position themselves and their agendas as the “true” alternatives.
• Inciting Hatred and Division: Narratives around immigration and public health are designed to split society into opposing camps. By fostering an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, they create division and conflict, which they then exploit to push their agendas.
• Political and Financial Gain: Many of these figures and groups profit directly from spreading misinformation. Whether through political donations, selling alternative health products, or garnering support for extremist causes, there is often a financial or political incentive behind their campaigns.
• Radicalisation and Recruitment: By framing themselves as defenders of freedom or protectors of the vulnerable, these individuals and groups attract followers who are disillusioned or seeking meaning. They exploit this, radicalising supporters and pushing them towards more extreme views and actions.

The Danger of Sharing Misinformation: A Single Click Can Cause Real Harm

Sharing misinformation is not just a minor mistake—it can have devastating consequences. It can ruin lives, as seen with the false accusations after Ashling Murphy’s murder. It can lead to violence, as seen with hate crimes against immigrants and attacks on those wrongly accused of being child predators. And it can cost lives, as seen with vaccine misinformation leading to preventable deaths.

Call to Action: Stop, Think, Verify

Before you share that post, ask yourself:

• Where Did This Come From? Is it from a credible, reliable source? Or is it linked to known disinformation spreaders?
• What Are the Consequences? Could sharing this post contribute to harm or division? Does it play on emotions like fear or anger?
• Who Benefits? Consider who stands to gain from this narrative. Is it a group with a history of spreading lies for profit or political power?

By being more discerning about what we share, we can help protect our communities from the damaging effects of misinformation. Don’t let yourself be manipulated. Think before you share, and be a force for truth and unity in a world increasingly divided by lies.

Let’s stand together against the spread of falsehoods and defend the truth, for the sake of a safer, more inclusive Ireland.