Disinformation goes viral for a simple reason: it is designed to win, not to be true.

The truth is usually slow. It needs context, nuances, time. Sometimes it even needs to admit “I don’t know.” In contrast, disinformation is fast: it gives you a complete story in 10 seconds, with a clear villain, an obvious culprit, and an emotional conclusion. It doesn’t invite you to think; it invites you to react.

And platforms reward reaction.

We share what makes us feel something: anger, fear, superiority, immediate hope. Disinformation understands this better than anyone. A real fact rarely hits you in the chest; a well-told lie does. That’s why it spreads more: because it travels on strong emotions, and strong emotions are algorithmic fuel.

There are also incentives.

Lying is cheap and profitable. You don’t need to verify, you don’t need sources, you don’t need to carry the complexity. You only need a headline that triggers impulses. If you hit the emotional button, you gain reach. And with reach come followers, fake reputation, money, sales, affiliates, courses, power. Correction, on the other hand, is almost never shared. Rectification doesn’t give dopamine.

That’s why, in the end, it’s more profitable to publish crap than honey.

Because honey requires work: patience, consistency, and sustaining over time. Crap is instant, abundant, and has no cost. Moreover, the attention market is brutal: when everything competes for seconds, the scandalous beats the reasonable.

The solution is not “stop using social media.” The solution is to change the incentive in your own mind.

Before sharing, ask yourself:
Does this inform, or just excite me?
Is this true, or just fits with what I already believed?
Does this improve the world, or just worsen the conversation?
Because the algorithm has no values. It only reflects ours.