Dangers of Wikipedia

Misleading Information

Misleading vandals are more dangerous that trolls. Like the book “How Common Sense Fails Us” by Duncan J Watts, people may simply believe and defend an outcome to a statement because it is presented nicely.

 Decrease in People's Trust in Information Sources 

In the Pew Report “How People Approach Facts and Information”, we can see how this is dangerous. The misleading nature and impression of Wikipedia decreases people’s trust in information sources, which in turns decreases their digital readiness. As a result, it is slower to propel business and digital transformation.



 Promoting System 1 Thinking Incorrectly 

Another weakness of Wikipedia is that it promotes System 1 thinking. When people is in search of a new information online, they may just Google, open a Wikipedia page, and believe in the fact Wikipedia presents. The nicely categorized and consistent structure of Wikipedia articles is the reason for this. Although in a way it is good that simple information can be found easily, people become more impatient.