Florida shooting survivors being targeted by internet bots

The students who survived a former classmate's gun attack on their Florida school are now facing an attack of a different kind.

"The fact that we are getting shocked, we are actively being attacked," said Cameron Kasky, a shooting survivor.

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And this time it's on social media. Two of the student survivors, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, are both now under attack on line.

According to the New York Times, the people and the robots spreading the disinformation are hiding behind hashtags like #guncontrolnow, #gunreformnow or simply #ParklandShooting. 

"What's happening is that these bots that are generating this misinformation, are taking advantage of the fact that there's a whole lot of people who'll believe what they put out," said Al Erisman, Seattle Pacific University emeritus business technology professor.

He said bots are helping to change society.

"I think that is the reason why we've had so much polarization over issues if I want to believe this way, I'll find lots of sources and spend all my news time on those sources that will help me confirm this. I won't even understand the other side," Erisman said.

That unwillingness or inability to understand the other side is reflected in the impassioned pleas of these students.

"Politicians compromise and we can get this done," said Hogg. "It's just a matter of overcoming our political barriers."

Part of the success of "disinformation" is that it looks so real.  Erisman says that places the burden of knowing the difference on the user.

"The only thing that I can see that can be done about this is for people to be better informed about being cautious," said Erisman. "Don't believe everything because it's on the internet. Check it out."

He concedes that message may already be lost on time-stressed adults, too busy to take an extra five minutes to check the source. 

So, he insists, "critical thinking" in the age of bots must be taught to future generations.

"Will our education begin to reflect the society in which we live in the 21st century instead of a society from long before and begin to tackle some of these questions?" he asked. "I think that's got to be the key to the future."

But what are we to do right now? He says try hard to resist the urge to believe everything you read on line even if it confirms what you already believe.

It still might not be true.

Cox Media Group