Tenerife, Spain – 05/17/2022: Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca) showing teeth drawn on a enclosure at the Loroparque Zoo Aquarium. (Photo by Lightrocket via Marcos Del Mazo/Getty Images)
Lightrocket via Getty Images
Viral videos can take many forms, but not all of them are real. A recent example? There's a video of Jessica Karadcliffe Orca attacks that have recently appeared on Tiktok and Facebook, but it's completely fake. In fact, according to multiple sources, there is no Orca trainer named Jessica Radcliffe.
In the video seen on Tiktok, an ORCA trainer was attacked and killed. There are all the computer-generated signs, starting with the fact that hoaxes are generated by AI and that the story has created national news.
Most AI-generated videos won't pass Uncanny Valley Testeven if the quality is improving. We can still find fakes and have some freebies. First of all, when you see a human in a video that looks like a fake, look at your fingers. The way they move is not yet very realistic.
For businesses like Tiktok and Facebook, it appears they have the technology to look for watermarks and other signs that the video is fake.
Social media companies have been fighting this misinformation for years. This is because most of the fake content is floating around, so it's mostly in the AI era.
Online safety is a serious issue, but it seems to be trending and trends. Although content moderator guidelines and procedures have been changed, Meta has recently stepped up its efforts to block inappropriate content targeting teens.
In this case, this issue has something to do with what makes the video viral in the first place.
Why are you attracted to Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack videos?
You really need to look at the mirror to understand how it works. The problem is us. We tend to be attracted to sensationalism.
Research on why social media videos go viral shows that We are more attracted to negative news than anythingthis has been true since the first news report aired. If someone is harmed, in pain, or in a wreck of a car, we are more likely to pay attention.
Part of the reason may have something to do with our own protective instincts. In the book Pathologically curious: Scientists explain why we can't look away The author of Coltan Scrivner explains that they may be paying attention to bad news (or slowing down to see a car wreck) as they try to understand how to deal with it in the same situation.
We seem to be fascinated by horror and dark thrillers as we are trying to assess what we would do if we encounter the same problem.
The same may apply to viral videos that are characterized by scary and nasty things. We have a fight and flight mechanism for us who are always poised to respond. Social media is constantly using that impulse.
Does Tiktok need to allow Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack videos?
All this raises questions about why videos are on social media platforms in the first place.
My cynician thinks that many of the worst examples of viral videos are still online due to the extremely high engagement and high traffic. The most negative and fake viral videos are the videos that lead to the most views for advertisers.
What helps to counter all of this negativity? It turns out that the real responsibility lies not with the social media companies, but with the creators themselves and the audience.
By generating more engaging viral content with positive messages, reporting on more uplifting aspects of the human condition, and focusing on innovation and advancement, it helps to stem the trend of all negative viral content, such as the Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack video. At least that's a step in the right direction.
