Facebook really wants you to read articles before sharing them
It's a common Internet habit: reading an article's headline and then sharing the work without reading it. There are multiple reasons someone may do this, not the least of which is making assumptions about what the article presents based on its titles. Facebook is taking steps to address this habit, which can be problematic at times, by rolling out a new prompt.
The problem with sharing articles based on nothing more than the title is the risk of spreading misinformation, coming to conclusions that aren't supported by the article, and lacking key details needed to discuss the matter. Actually reading the article provides context that may give the person sharing it a more informed perspective about the topic.
Starting today, we're testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven't opened, we'll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others. pic.twitter.com/brlMnlg6Qg
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) May 10, 2021
Facebook has announced that in order to encourage users to read articles before sharing them, it will now show them a prompt if they attempt to share a news article link they haven't opened. The prompt includes the option to open the article first or to continue with sharing it.
Facebook notes in its prompt, "Sharing articles without reading them may mean missing key facts." The prompt is described as a test at this time; it's unclear how widely it is available. As with any test, it is possible it may change in the future or, perhaps, be removed.
This isn't the first time we've seen this kind of feature appear on a social media platform. Last summer, Twitter introduced a similar prompt that encouraged its readers to read an article before sharing it. The feature first arrived on Android before rolling out in October 2020 on iOS.