As misinformation, fake news, deepfakes, and conspiracy theories continue to roll around in their own prime time spots on our tech platforms, it's no surprise that the word of the year isgaslighting.
The act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage saw a 1,760 percent increase in lookups this year.
Runners up were "oligarch," "omicron," "codify," and "LGBTQIA".
It's been a year since the first misinformation was reported. New platforms and tools are emerging to report the truth after Russia invaded Ukraine. Social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok didn't block paid ads that spread misinformation about voting in the upcoming elections, while fake news flourished on the internet.
Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light, as well as the movie that followed, are credited with coining the term, a dark thriller that sees a man who uses light-dimming tricks to make his wife believe her mental health is declining, just so he can.
According to the announcement, the term gaslighting has evolved from psychological manipulation of a person to a broader practice of deception linked to fake news and artificial intelligence technology.
"Medical gaslighting" in which patients have their symptoms dismissed as nothing to worry about or just in their head, as well as the type of gaslighting used by big companies trying to deceive the public, were acknowledged by the dictionary.
Gaslighting applies in both personal and political contexts, unlike lying which tends to be between individuals.
Gaslighting is the preferred word for the perception of deception due to the increase in channels and technologies used to deceive.
The dictionary didn't mention gaslighting, but it's still prominent. There is racial gas lighting.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
