False news stories are often shared on Facebook, which leads many to believe they are true.
Just yesterday (14th December 2016) a hoax hit the realms of Facebook with a widely shared post appearing to depict a dead girl lying on the road after being run over.
Although not overly explicit, the image shows the lifeless body of a young girl with her face hidden by a high-visibility jacket.
If you wish to see the image, click HERE.
The Alleged Truth
Posted in a Facebook group called ‘Spotted New Parks’, the poster stated that the girl was run over by a motorist after being dropped off at a school in Leicester. The story went on to say that the victim was attempting to get her father’s attention as she had left her lunchbox in the car and that she was hit by a mother of a fellow pupil at the school whilst crossing the road.
The Purpose
The school in which the accident was alleged to have taken place has been embroiled in a debate over illegal parking. The yellow zig zag lines (which are meant to prohibit drivers from parking) are often used to drop children off at the school and this story aimed to target these particular motorists in the hope of preventing them from doing so in future. At first, the attempt to create awareness of this issue seems rather noble. However, the shock tactics of the post have not lead to success.
A debate over zig zag road lines sparked the idea. Source: Geograph
The Lie
Not only did Leicestershire Police announce that the story was indeed false and no incident had happened but Tim Pppppppppprice, the original poster (yes, that’s his actual name changed by deed poll), in an interview with The Sun, confirmed the lie and his reasoning behind it.
Tim Pppppppppprice, the man behind the hoax. Source: Twitter
Effects
Though shared among the 6,000 followers of the page in which it was posted, it received quite a backlash. Many users were outraged and ‘disgusted’ with several commenting that it made them feel physically sick. People also criticised Pppppppppprice’s use of a child’s death in a trivial manner (despite it being fake), appalled at the fact that such a hard-hitting story was nothing more than a lie.
Whether Pppppppppprice’s intention was well-meaning or not, it is clear that there is a big issue in using fake images and stories to discuss a topic effecting people in the local area. This elaborate lie created hysteria and panic as parents of children at the school were quite rightly be concerned for their child’s safety.
The post has now been removed from the group and Mr Pppppppppprice has had his admin rights revoked.
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