Quote by Charles Seife
![“Digital information has an unbelievably high R0 [basic reproductive rate], and this means that it's hard to stop once it emerges. It spreads from person to person - even those at a great distance - incredibly quickly, thanks to its high transmissibility and the high interconnectedness of digital…” quote by Charles Seife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/08d/charles-seife-18021_quote_digital-information-has-an-unbelievably_744417.jpg)
““Digital information has an unbelievably high R0 [basic reproductive rate], and this means that it's hard to stop once it emerges. It spreads from person to person - even those at a great distance - incredibly quickly, thanks to its high transmissibility and the high interconnectedness of digital society. Once it escapes into the wild, it's all but impossible to stop its spread. This is wonderful, so long as the information is correct and useful. But if it's wrong, if it alters our brains for the worse, if it makes us make mistakes and think incorrect things, it's a scourge.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Zero to One, 2014
Digital info spreads like a virus; correct info helps, false info harms.
In simple terms: Digital info spreads fast, good or bad.
Key Takeaway
Verify before sharing.
Themes
information
technology
risk
Mood
cautionary
urgent
Type
ethical
educational
When to use this quote
- social media
- news dissemination
- education
- policy making
Key Concepts
epidemiology
digital media
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we curb misinformation?
- What responsibilities do creators have?
A Different Perspective
Rapid spread makes correction difficult and can cause widespread harm.
![“[On the birther movement:] Here we are, quadrillions of bytes deep into the Information Age. And yet information, it seems, has never mattered less.” quote by Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/243/elizabeth-kolbert-7570_age_on-the-birther-movement-here-we-are-quad_946812.jpg)
