Survey on astroturfing awareness
Bernard Vukelić, B. Polonijo, Marin Kaluža · 2019
This paper describes astroturfing as an organized effort to influence someone's thinking in order to gain benefit in various ways. Insufficient information and lack of critical thinking are good grounds for using false assumptions to influence the minds of others and their actions. This paper focuses on the survey conducted among students of the Polytechnic of Rijeka about astroturfing awareness or lack thereof. The results show that astroturfing has to be taken seriously because it is a powerful tool for manipulation and a threat to the credibility of initiatives and organizations which has a negative impact on the entire Internet community. The most effective detection techniques are development of education and critical thinking and acquaintance with astroturfing and its methods.