Why do people believe absurd "inspirational" shared Facebook stories?

[Crystal clear]

This is about social media and doesn't really have anything to do with mythology and folklore.

In any case, there are plenty of gullible (and lazy) people out there that believe everything they read online. I research such stories to find out if they are valid or not (which usually takes about 30 seconds), and I call people out on false stories they post claiming they're real. This doesn't usually sit well with the "friends" that posted them. (Though, while not often, a few of the popular shared ones I've seen I have found to be real stories.)

The inspirational story ones don't bother me so much. The ones that really bother me are supposedly informational but are blatantly false.

For example - the "informational" meme that was plastered all over facebook and twitter at the end of the year claiming that AAA offers a free Tipsy Tow program "nationwide" for New Year's Eve so if folks got stuck somewhere & had been drinking, they could get a safe and sober ride home and their car towed home too. The graphic urged people to share it because it could "save lives" When in fact, AAA's Tipsy Tow program is NOT Nationwide and is only available in a select few areas. I don't see how sharing false information will "save lives", and I make my view clear on that when I see people post stuff like that.


"People eat these stories up and act as if they are real, posting that they are in tears or whatever. Why ??!! They are fake!!!!" ~ People laugh, cry, etc. over fictional stories in novels, and TV shows, and movies. What's the difference? A good story is meant to entertain and move people emotionally.