Do people lie more due to technology - smart phones and social media?
Perhaps not. Let's break down this new study.
As you can see in the graph, people are most likely to lie over video chat and phone call, and least likely by email. This could be because video chat and phone calls make deception feel easier or less costly, as it's not in-person, but is fairly spur of the moment - we don't have to organise and review our thoughts like when we are writing. It could also be that email is more formal, and more likely to be used in a professional/work context.
But the differences are pretty small. It turns out that differences among participants were more predictive of deception rates than differences among media. A person that lies in one context is more likely to lie in another.
You can make the case that our social interactions are higher in quantity but lower in quality in the digital age. But that doesn't necessarily mean that people are becoming more dishonest.
Perhaps though, we should be more cognizant and concerned with how technology has made it easier and less consequential for business and political organizations to manipulate people at scale. Then, the fact that lies can spread more quickly, freely and widely than ever before. It's a complex issue.
As always is our conclusion. Technology for the individual is not to be feared or avoided, but better understood and more mindfully utilised.
Thanks for reading!
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