iWorld
Digital content creators and their reliance on fictional facts
MUMBAI: We have known it for a long time. And many have cautioned us about it as well.
Now here’s some data to support the fact that digital content influencers and creators are pretty inventive about the so-called information that they tout as facts.
A Unesco backed Behind the Scenes survey has revealed that 62 per cent of influencers do not carry out rigorous and systematic fact-checking of information prior to sharing it. However, 73 per cent expressed the desire to be trained to do so.
The survey is the first global analysis of digital content creators’ motivations and practices, and of the challenges they face. It involved 500 influencers in 45 countries, with the expertise of a dedicated research team at US-based Bowling Green State University.
The survey found that content creators have difficulty determining the best criteria for assessing the credibility of information they find online. 42 per cent of respondents said they used “the number of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ a post had received” on social media as the main indicator. 21 per cent were happy to share content with their audiences if it had been shared with them “by friends they trusted,” and 19 per cent said they relied “on the reputation” of the original author or publisher of content.
Here’s more: mainstream news media is only the third most common source (36.9 per cent) for content creators, after their own experience and their own research and interviews.
Clearly, a lot needs to be done to train digital content creators as well as followers who swallow any drivel that’s dished out to them as a fact. Unesco has launched an online course to address this and educate them. More than 9,000 participants from 160 countries already registered to participate.
They will learn how to:
* source information using a diverse range of sources
* assess and verify the quality of information
* be transparent about the sources which inspire their content
* identify, debunk and report misinformation, disinformation and hate speech
* collaborate with journalists and traditional media to amplify fact-based information.
Can some more educational initiatives in India be instituted by educational institutes to educate the digital and social media crowd?
e-commerce
Samsung Galaxy S26 series now available for instant delivery on Instamart
AI powered flagship phones start at Rs 87,999 with launch offers up to Rs 9,000.
MUMBAI: In the age of quick commerce, even flagship smartphones are learning to arrive at your doorstep at lightning speed. Instamart has partnered with Samsung to make the newly launched Galaxy S26 series available for instant purchase on the quick commerce platform, expanding the category beyond groceries and daily essentials into premium consumer electronics.
The Galaxy S26 lineup, which includes the S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26, is now available across several major Indian cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune, among others.
The flagship series introduces several new features, led by what Samsung describes as the world’s first built in Privacy Display on a smartphone, available exclusively on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The display is designed to enhance privacy while unlocking a new class of screen experiences.
The devices also integrate agentic artificial intelligence designed to quietly manage routine tasks in the background, allowing users to focus on more meaningful interactions with their device.
Positioned as a major step forward in AI powered smartphones, the Galaxy S26 Ultra also introduces enhancements in areas such as nightography photography and Photo Assist tools, aimed at improving low light imaging and AI driven creative editing.
Through the partnership, Instamart is extending its quick commerce proposition to high value electronics, allowing customers to order the Galaxy S26 series and receive it almost instantly once sales go live.
The Galaxy S26 series will be available starting at Rs 87,999. As part of the launch offers on Instamart, customers can avail an instant discount of up to Rs 9,000 using an HDFC Bank credit card. Buyers can also opt for No Cost EMI options for up to 9 months.
The move reflects the growing overlap between quick commerce and consumer electronics, as platforms race to deliver not just groceries but also premium technology products with the same promise of speed and convenience.
