Ferdinand Thies from Bern University of Applied Sciences has conducted extensive research into statistical manipulation. He identifies three types of people who spread false information: liars, bullshitters and idiots.
The liar knows that they are passing on false information and actively twists it to support their argument. The «bullshitter» is indifferent as to whether information is true or not – as long as it serves their purpose. Finally, the «idiot» – and according to Thies, this often accounts for the majority of those spreading misinformation – is not necessarily stupid, but simply does not actively question the information they receive.
Two typical examples of fake news:
1. Number of asylum seekers
A specific example from Switzerland brings this into sharp focus. Populist articles regularly cite the figure of 6,147 asylum seekers who have come into conflict with the law in the space of a year. That sounds alarming – until you take a closer look. This is because the figure refers to charges, not convictions.
When evaluating something, people tend to stop once their own, pre-formed opinion has been confirmed.
Ferdinand Thies, lecturer at Bern University of Applied Sciences
With around 200,000 asylum seekers, this corresponds to a rate of around 3 per cent – 97 per cent had no run-ins with the law whatsoever. Furthermore, a large proportion of asylum seekers are young men – and
statistically, young men are more likely to commit violent offences across all sections of the population. If we look solely at Swiss men aged between 18 and 24, their rate of being charged is already over 2 per cent.
2. The cost of the asylum system
The argument that the asylum system costs every four-person Swiss family 1,600 francs a year works in a similar way. This figure is arrived at by dividing the total costs by the total population – whilst simply ignoring corporation tax and other sources of revenue. It also overlooks the fact that an asylum seeker costs the state around 17,000 Swiss francs per year – whereas the basic income support for an unemployed Swiss person stands at just under 30,000 Swiss francs.
The relationship with your child is more important than the argument: parents should focus on the things that are still going well and that they both enjoy.
Kaspar Padel, violence prevention expert
Furthermore, asylum seekers enter the labour market relatively quickly. According to Thies, the employment rate among recognised refugees reaches around 50 per cent after five to seven years. If half of all asylum seekers of working age are employed on the minimum wage, this generates tax and social security contributions that recoup the initial costs of around 17,000 Swiss francs per person within two years.
A purely cost-based analysis therefore falls short – it overlooks the benefits of a successful integration. «When evaluating, people stop as soon as their own, pre-formed opinion is confirmed,» Thies summarises. On TikTok, there's no time for scrutiny anyway: you’
’ve long since moved on to the next video – and are right in the thick of the next wave of algorithmic amplification.
What parents can do
When parents notice that their child is drifting towards extremism, their first instinct is often to confront them. Yet this is precisely what Kaspar Padel, from the Canton of Bern's Centre for Radicalisation and Violence Prevention, advises against.
- The relationship is more important than the argument. «Parents should focus on the things that are still working and that they both enjoy,» he says. These positive moments offer the young person an alternative to the extremist community – without it needing to be said out loud.
- Genuine interest rather than lecturing. When discussions arise, Padel recommends first asking sincerely: What lies behind these views? What do they offer the child? Only then – and using «I» statements – should you express your own position: not «But in reality, it's like this», but «The way I see it, it's like this».
- Tolerance of ambiguity as a goal. The magic word in prevention is «tolerance of ambiguity»: the ability to cope with contradictions without immediately needing a simple answer. Those who can do this are more resilient to radical world views.
- Clear boundaries in the event of legal breaches. «If legal breaches occur, parents must set clear, firm boundaries,» Padel warns. This is not a matter for negotiation.
