Posts

Rumors : A scientific perspective. (By - Aryan Atray)

Image
  Social psychologists have been interested in rumors since the 1930s. They often categorize them as one of three types: Dread rumors convey fear about a potential negative event: “The ‘good-times’ virus will erase your hard drive!” Wish rumors relate a desired outcome: “Have you heard? We’re getting a big bonus this year!” Wedge-driving rumors divide people groups, such as this false one from World War II: “The Catholics are evading the draft.” Unfortunately, wedge-driving rumors may be the most numerous of the three. Rumors have been categorized in other ways that indicate what people are collectively concerned about: Stock market rumors suggest ever-present stockholder worries over portfolio value, job-security rumors convey anxiety over possible job losses, personnel-change rumors evidence concern about how one’s job duties might change with a new boss. Rumors appear to be a regular feature of social and organizational landscapes. For example, in corporations, rumors reach the ...

Do not Rumors be open (Part I) (By - Chirag Mathur)

Image
 

Rumors: Education or No Education? (By - Aryan Atray)

Image
With uncertainty looming over the spring semester exams, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, has asked its students not to believe rumours of cancellation of exams. The administration is yet to take a decision on the matter. On March 28, amid the nationwide lockdown over the Covid-19 outbreak, the institute announced an early summer vacation for students from April 1 to May 31, 2020. It, however, did not clarify the status of the spring semester examinations which are usually held in the month of March. Last week, rumours were rife that the institute had cancelled the exams altogether causing anxiety among many students. However, on Wednesday, IIT Bombay director Subhasis Chaudhuri dispelled the rumours and said a final decision was pending. “During the time of such a pandemic, such rumours add to the agony and anxiety of our students who are away from the campus right now. Please stop such fake news. Our Senate will take a decision on this soon and it will be reported on...

Rumors: A controversy Ensues (By - Aryan Atray)

Image
Authored By - Aryan Atray V i j ay Seth upath i rub bis hes r umors about conv erting to Christianity . Vijay Set hupathi h as rubbished rumour s on social media that he is part of a group tha t aims to convert film technicians t o Christianity . Actor Vijay Sethupathi has rubbishe d recen t social media messages tha t claime d that he ' s p ar t of a g r oup that ai m e d t o c on v ert f i lm techniciars to Christianity . Reacting to the messages t ha t ha ve go n e vi ral , Vijay S et hupathi to ok to T witt er an d a sk e d th ose circulating suc h re po rts t o mind their own b u siness , if th ey have any . He also said he hasn ' t converte d to Christianity .  As per a report b y N ew Indian E xpress , a me ssage went vi ral on social media claiming that actors Vijay Seth up athi , Arya , Ramesh k arr a a nd A rthi were part of a group that was funded by Regina Jeppjar , w i th money from que stionable sou rces . Th e mess a ges also claimed tha t Bigi l w as fun ded by...

Do not Rumor Be Open (Part II) (By - Chirag Mathur)

Image
 

Rumors : A US Anchor booked (By - Yogesh Daiya)

  Anchor of a US-based web channel book ed for spreading rumors. Ludhiana police on T uesd ay booke d at anchor of a US - base d web channel for allegedly spre ad ing r u mours abo u t people being admitted to hospitals a s could-19 patients and being . . . It was alleged that the anchor ha d uplo aded a video or his web  carrell, Fastway TV USA , of accredit ed social health activists ASHAS ) being asked to get people a d mitte d to hospitals for Covid - 19 treatment and getting paid 350 , 000 per patient . Ar FIR against the unidentifie d n ews anchor has been registere d at the Punjab  Agricultural University ( PAU ) police station PAU station ho use o fficer ( SHO ) Paran de ep Singh said the police received the video , where the anchor was claiming that health activists in a village of Punjab were forcibly taking villagers to hospitals for 350 , 000 each patient . He canchor ) also claime d that the ASHAs were doing this without verifying if the person had symptom...