SOCIAL media is a platform where rumours may begin spreading even before events that attract significant public interest actually occur. Although rumours may be based on partially correct information, most real incidents are quite different from these rumours. In any case, social media rarely scrutinizes information to verify its accuracy and is quick to spread rumours among its users.

Rumours, malicious media actions, fake news, fabricated information, and misinformation all exacerbate public panic and fear among people anticipating imminent dangers, whether from natural disasters, armed conflicts, or political, social, economic, and other crises. For example, when the nation was still reeling from the devastating Mandalay earthquake on 28 March, rumours circu­lated that a severe earthquake might strike Yangon, and an­other claimed that a strong earthquake would occur on 21 April 2025. These rumours, spread through TikTok and other social media platforms, caused significant distress to the public.

A rumour is an issue or piece of information that is difficult — or even impossible — to quickly verify as true. Although it may be hard to believe, a rumour can spread rapidly among the public and influence people’s emotions to the point where it becomes difficult to distinguish fact from falsehood. For this rea­son, social scientists define rumours as a component of propaganda. Consequently, both intentionally circulated false news designed to make someone believe something, and misinformation shared unknowingly are often de­scribed as rumours.

An examination of how ru­mours spread shows that fears arising after a natural disaster or following a major incident affecting the public often give rise to rumours, which in turn tend to reinforce public belief in them. In addition, people, when psychologically affected, tend to share information that aligns with their emotions. In this con­text, social media serves as a platform for rapidly disseminating information, and for the same reason, it also facilitates the spread of false news, misinformation, and rumours.

As such, people should not rely entirely on social media, espe­cially on the circulation of rumours, fake news, and misinforma­tion, which may be intentionally designed to mislead people and foster misunderstanding. People should seek reliable sources of information and critically analyze any content before sharing it, avoiding the spread of unverified information to others. Further­more, authorities need to take effective action against those who intentionally circulate rumours, fake news, and misinformation about any events while releasing true information in time, rebutting all sorts of fake news and misinformation.