Missing MH370: Creators of fake reports have an addiction, says psychologist
Updated: Monday March 10, 2014 MYT 5:30:19 PM
PETALING JAYA: People who create fake reports in regards to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are rumour mongers who crave attention.
“They are rumour mongers. It’s a habit, an addiction,” said Paul Jambunathan, a consultant clinical psychologist at Monash University and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
“Creating these false reports are purely for their benefit. It’s not to spread news, but to instigate people. They feed off knowing that they have affected you,” he added.
Paul said that people spread these fake reports to “belong to a crisis situation”.
“Some people don’t have enough action in their lives, so they jump into the first possible sense of drama,” said Paul.
“Sharing the fake information is a form of attention seeking behaviour. It’s a very pathological way for them to try belong to what’s happening,” he said.
“But if they know a piece of information that’s true, they should call the authorities to verify the information,” said Paul.