Perception and Reality in the Digital Age

This book offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of how false information is strategically produced, circulated, and legitimized within contemporary digital communication environments. Focusing on the role of new media in shaping public perception and psychological response, the book analyzes how disinformation operates through platform logics, algorithmic systems, and emotionally resonant narratives. By integrating communication psychology with media theory, it reveals the cognitive and affective vulnerabilities—such as bias, emotional engagement, and perception management—that render users susceptible to manipulative content in digital spaces. Structured in two main parts, the first section explores the theoretical and psychological foundations of disinformation. It examines media and communication psychology, the historical evolution and structural anatomy of disinformation, and the mechanisms through which perception is strategically managed in digital contexts. Drawing on key communication theories and psychological models, this section demonstrates how new media technologies intersect with human cognition and social behavior to facilitate the spread of deceptive narratives. The second part turns to applied perspectives, presenting analytically grounded strategies and selected case-based insights into countering disinformation across political and public health domains. Topics include media literacy initiatives, institutional and policy responses, algorithmic accountability, and AI-supported fact-checking practices. Case discussions—such as election interference and public health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic—highlight the broader societal implications of unchecked disinformation. Interdisciplinary in scope, this book is essential reading for scholars, students, policymakers, media professionals, and educators seeking to critically understand the psychological and structural dynamics of disinformation in the digital age.