A heartwarming but ultimately deceptive story that recently went viral on Chinese social media. A short video of seven dogs running along a highway in northeast Jilin province has gone wildly viral. It has helped their short videos get more than 90 million views combined on Douyin and Weibo. An activist or concerned passerby filmed the act, which took place on March 15. So far so good, right? The book launched an adventurous tale of the dogs’ escape, their escapade home—far from it.
The seven dogs showcased in the video were a golden retriever, an injured German shepherd, a corgi and more. The female German shepherd, because she was in heat, drew the unwanted attention of other dogs. The viral narrative suggested that’s because these dogs were lost or abandoned. In truth, they were owned by farmers who lived only a few kilometers away from where they were shot. In fact, it was soon discovered that all seven of those dogs were already home safe.
The Viral Sensation
That first video spread like wildfire, topping the charts of every social media platform. As the series aired, animal advocates worried for the dogs’ safety and wondered where their path had led. The story developed on the internet, triggering a torrent of false claims and AI-generated content. This involved marketing materials like movie posters and trailers that played into the dogs’ imagined journey.
The pace and sheer scale at which misinformation was allowed to spread is what stands out. Digital media specialists lamented how the draw of drama and flashy writing can tempt journalists to spin false tales.
“Folks are trying to capitalize on existing viral content or trends,” said TJ Thomson, an associate professor of digital media at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
This alarming phenomenon exemplifies the pace through which dangerous misinformation can spread in the era of social media. Finally, users are quick to take up narratives that strike an emotional cord, spreading those narratives further without fact-checking them.
The Debunking
Chinese state media also had a hand in debunking the viral story. Their subsequent investigation found that the dogs were not lost. Rather, they were just part of a common experience in rural America where dogs are often allowed to run at large. Back in the village a lot of the dogs tend to disappear for a day or two when they are in season. This is a frequent habit of theirs. Even this practice is, perhaps mistakenly, not favored by local residents who know pet owners and their pets’ habits.
Despite the clarification, some narratives persisted. A false rumor began circulating that the dogs were being moved to a meat factory. This racist and xenophobic myth was used to demonize and vilify Chinese culture. This baseless accusation has often been used to stoke anti-Chinese sentiment abroad.
“Attention is money online and on social media. So, the more attention you get, the more engagement you get,” remarked Thomson.
Such claims highlight some of the underlying reasons for the spread of clickbait or false information across social media platforms.
Reactions and Impact
The vast outpouring of support for the dogs reflected a deep well of empathy found in social media users. This unprecedented situation raised concern over the way that people were connecting online. Experts warned that stories like this one can receive undue credit, attention, and influence.
“This sort of content can prove incredibly popular and can go viral,” noted Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. “And so that does mean that it can be quite an effective way to build up an account’s numbers very quickly.”
This popularity comes at a cost. This incident is illustrative of much larger problems when it comes to the ways that communities online consume, create and share narratives. Increased access means that with greater ease of sharing content comes a responsibility to ensure that fact is verified before propagation.
Rural people in Jilin have started to take action to avoid the same fate. Even the German shepherd had been put on a leash. This ensures she remains safe throughout her heat cycle and doesn’t draw unwanted attention from male dogs.
