Net find “Go Viral!”: A small browser game that goes the way of fake news

On our blog we are always happy to present the small web discoveries that we come across when surfing the vast Internet on a daily basis – whether they are strange gadgets, interesting events or funny games. Yesterday evening I received a link to a browser-based game from a good friend, then tried it with curiosity. The “Go Viral!” game should not be withheld. Which is well done for you too.

Going Viral was originally created as part of a collaboration between the University of Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, DROG, Gusmanson and the UK Cabinet Office, and was translated into German by Fatih Winall and Melissa Bassol of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. The recommended age is 15+, but of course young people can also take a look at the risks they are taking.

Go Viral! is a 5-minute game that protects you from misinformation about COVID-19. You will learn some of the most common strategies used to spread false and misleading information about the virus. After you master these tricks on your own, you will be able to resist them better. Next time you come across Online, you will be well prepared.”

This is how the development team reports on the mini browser game on Go Viral! Scientists involved in developing Go Viral! The post “found that the game greatly improved the ability to detect misinformation about COVID-19,” according to the creators. The related study was published in the journal Big Data & Society and can here It can be displayed in full.

Action in Go Viral! It’s quickly explained: After a short introduction, you are directed through three large levels in which a Twitter-style social network is simulated. By choosing the right answers, you can gradually gain more credibility and increase the number of followers significantly and thus become a famous star in the fake news bubble. As long as you do it right, master the most important strategies and don’t shy away from drastic measures. Go Viral! It shows how this works and how quickly we can fall for misinformation. Impressive – and still with a bit of humor and a wink.

Images: DROG/Go Viral!.