A Study Of Diffusion Mechanism Of WeChat Rumors

In recent years, We Chat came late but surpasses the formers and become the intelligent terminal software which owns the biggest user base. According to the Internet investigation of 2015 New Media Blue Book, up to January 31 st, 2016, the number of registered We Chat users has reached 650 million, among which, the number of active users is 549 million, accounting for 95.4% of the total number of users. In We Chat which deeply integrates social communication, interpersonal communication and commerce, human and machine, nature and culture as well as spirit and material become fused symbiosis, influencing social life, daily order and even value systems. In the meantime, We Chat also becomes the fertile soil of the generation and spreading of rumors.We Chat’s information diffusion characteristics, main characteristics and communication structure may all become boosters and “mechanisms” of the generation and spreading of rumors. First of all, We Chat’s information diffusion characteristics such as hidden spreading in a semi-closed space, viral spreading of strong social networks and the diversity of content spreading modes enrich the diffusion forms of rumors and enhance the diffusion ability of rumors; secondly, the “bi-directional decentralized” characteristic of We Chat information subject blurs the bound between diffusers and receivers. Every user plays an important role in the diffusion process. Due to the “non-rationality” of cognition caused by individual differences of diffusers and receivers, bandwagon effect, group polarization effect and primacy effect are easily generated from rumors, accelerating the diffusing speed of rumors; thirdly, the communication structures of “dot”, “line” and “face” of We Chat information facilitate rumors to be precisely diffused among users. Through cognitive interest, groups are built, which connects the diffusing paths and expand the diffusion scope of rumors.It is likely that the diffusion of We Chat rumors will bring about a lot of negative effects. For example, adverse public opinions many lead to the accumulation of personal emotions and breed grudge; commercial rumors may disturb normal economic order; the exaggeration of social events may give rise to social panic and mass disturbance and so on. Therefore, how to deal with negative influences brought by Wechat and purify Wechat communication space becomes an important issue. This thesis proposes that Wechat rumors should be governed from three aspects. Firstly, authority organizations and administrative departments should enhance supervision and technically regulate the origins of rumors on the Wechat background; secondly, Wechat should cooperate with traditional media to timely popularize science and deny rumors; at last, users’ media literacy should be improved and the construction and propagation of new media’s ethics and morals should be strengthened.As a result of We Chat rumors, unhealthy public opinions may bring psychological burden to individuals, disrupt the normal economic order, and even cause social panic and mass disturbances. Because the characteristics of We Chat itself provide fertile ground for rumors to a certain extent, we can put forward the corresponding measures and recommendations only after having a full understanding of the diffusion mechanism of We Chat rumors. Focusing on the uniqueness of these giving-receiving subjects and communication structure, we are supposed to work with the traditional media and authority, and regularly promote and popularize the knowledge in line with the receivers’ expectations by taking advantage of the strong social relationships between We Chat users; in addition, we can also improve the technical level and strive to prevent rumors from spreading in the first place.