MODELLING THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON RUMOR SPREADING

Abstract

Social media plays a significant role in the lives of individuals, and it can be broadly categorized into two groups: those who use social media and those who do not. People who use social media are more susceptible to being exposed to false information compared to those who do not use it. Furthermore, individuals who use social media can be further divided into two subgroups: those with a large fan following and those with a small fan following. If a rumor is initiated by someone with a substantial fan base, there is a higher likelihood that it will spread rapidly. To enhance the understanding of this phenomenon, an extension of the classical SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered) rumor spreading model has been proposed. This extended model incorporates the influence of social media and the presence of individuals with a large following, resulting in the SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed Infectious-Recovered) rumor spreading model. The dynamics of the SEIR rumor spreading model are described by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which captures the behavioral patterns and progression of the rumor withinthe population.