Efficacy of Verification Observatories in Mitigating the Psychological Impact of Rumors Disseminated via social media During wars: Gaza War on Telegram in 2023 as a case study

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of information verification observatories in mitigating the psychological impacts of rumors and false news during the 2023 Gaza War. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach, the research encompasses the entire audience of information verification observatories, including (THAQAQ, KASHIF, TAYQAN), on the Telegram platform, totaling 2893 subscribers as of December 7, 2023. The sample size within this community comprised 351 individuals. Data collection was conducted through an electronic questionnaire tool. Findings reveal that 82.5% of respondents experienced positive psychological effects from information received via Telegram during the 2023 Gaza War. Moreover, 72% perceived that the performance of information verification observatories reduced the adverse psychological impacts of rumors circulated on Telegram concerning the war. Furthermore, 72% attributed the alleviation of their psychological distress to their trust in the information disseminated by these observatories via Telegram, as well as the promptness with which they verified false news and rumors related to the Gaza War. Additionally, 71.5% of respondents reported a reduction in the severity of negative psychological effects resulting from rumors, while 65.8% emphasized the positive impact of information verification observatories via Telegram on their psychological well-being.