During the interview conducted by cultural journalists Tatiana Oliveros and Alejandra Delgado, renowned publicist Camilo Güell delved into the crucial distinction between misinformation and overinformation.
While misinformation, or fake news, consists of false information with various objectives, from confusing people to commercial or political purposes, overinformation is the phenomenon of receiving more information than our cognitive systems can process, generating confusion and polarization on political and social issues; as well as a strong impact on self-esteem and personal perception, especially among young people and adolescents.
Opening the third season of Purísima Podcast, Güell explained how overinformation is unfortunately used politically to cover up negative news or divert public attention. In addition, he addressed the role of artificial intelligence, such as GPT chat, in the organization of information and the risks it presents by preferring to satisfy the user over being truthful.
The conversation also delves into how information saturation can influence institutional crises, as observed in the constituent process in Chile, where overinformation influenced understanding and support for the project.
Regarding possible responses to this phenomenon, Güell highlighted the importance of education in the consumption of information and the need for self-regulation in the face of overinformation. Emphasizing that people must learn to discern between the quantity and quality of the information they consume to mitigate its negative impacts.
“It is essential that we learn to filter the information we receive in this digital age. “Overinformation and fake news are challenges that we must address consciously and educationally,” she expressed.
“The academy also faces the challenge of teaching new generations to deal with overinformation and develop critical skills to discern the veracity of information,” he added.
The full interview with Camilo Güell can be heard on Spotify.
About Purísima Podcast
Purísima Podcast is a renowned podcasting program produced by the Creative Campus of the Andrés Bello University. Hosted by journalists Alejandra Delgado and Tatiana Oliveros, the podcast addresses relevant topics of thought and culture, offering interviews with experts and opinion leaders. Purísima Podcast is available on multiple platforms, including Spotify, and has the collaboration of El Mostrador.