The Fake News Effect: Why We Engage and How to Stop | Dr. Elesa Zehndorfer | TEDxKlagenfurt
NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of evolution, the brain, and social media. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfWhy are we so easily seduced by fake news, and why do we share it more than the truth? In this talk, Elesa Zehndorfer dives into the psychology behind fake news—exploring how storytelling, emotions, and evolutionary instincts make us vulnerable to disinformation. Through examples from politics, science fiction, and social media trends, she reveals how fake news exploits our negativity bias and hijacks our brains. This talk challenges us to spot fake news strategies and make more mindful choices.
Dr. Elesa Zehndorfer is an eMBA lecturer and award-winning author known for her books on politics and leadership, including Evolution, Politics & Charisma: Why do Populists Win?, Leadership: Performance Beyond Expectations, and the forthcoming Post Truth Politics: A Brave New World? (Routledge). Over two decades, she has presented at conferences across Europe, America, and Asia, and worked at leading universities. In 2023, she spoke at the European Liberal Forum conference on disinformation in Whitehall. Elesa manages the Political Animals and Animal Spirits blog on Psychology Today and is a founding partner of Lakeside Partners GmbH. With a PhD from Loughborough University, her interest in physiology informs her work as a Personal Trainer and Pilates coach and influences her research on how physiology impacts decision-making and emotions in politics, finance, and business. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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