Vagueness in Hoaxes

摘要

The dominance of the Internet affects all aspects of life, including communication. The ease in spreading information is one of the characteristics of communication in digital era. Passing information is as easy as flicking our fingertips. This ease causes many of us are not careful in comprehending the information. Getting information in social media such as WhatsApp, we speedily pass it to our friends and relatives without questioning the truthfulness of it. In consequence, we frequently pass hoax or fake information. Hoax can be understood as unreal information or fake information. The most prominent characteristic of hoax is vagueness, both linguistic vagueness and source vagueness. The use of deictic expression of time such as today, tomorrow, and yesterdayanddeictic expression of person such as I are the linguistic vagueness commonly occurs in hoaxes. The substantive vagueness Is traceable from the absence of sources or references. The advancement of technology and the ease to get Information in the digital era should not supersede the truth, which Is the value that we must constantly and consistently uphold.