Twitter users have used the popular social media platform to spread and promote fake death rumors about a number of celebrities , including Ellen Degeneres, Queen Elizabeth, and Jeff Bezos . Twitter users may have seen a message trending in recent days that says #RIPJeffBezos . This new trend aims to track which topics are attracting the most attention .
Once posted, these topics quickly rise to the top of the site. For example, at the time of its publication, one of the fake death stories, about Jeff Bezos, was at the top of the list of most popular topics on Twitter. The trending topic is likely to fool anyone who sees the message into believing that someone has died, as such messages are regularly posted about real news. However, anyone who clicks on the news will find that the trending topic is simply a hoax, intended to mislead and deceive the person it focuses on.
This new trend seems to have started with Ellen Degeneres, who in recent months has been accused of behaving badly towards people who worked with her. The famous host and actress has been the target of this trend, which is trying to get the message across that Degeneres should no longer appear on television. As the topic became popular, Twitter users began posting a series of increasingly surreal photos about it. Among them are a series of people who supposedly look like Degeneres, as well as strange, sarcastic messages about her supposed death.
Users have continued this trend with other figures, including Queen Elizabeth and Jeff Bezos. Twitter’s trending topics list is generated algorithmically, scanning the site for specific words and phrases that are rapidly increasing in popularity. This means it can be relatively easily “fooled,” whether intentionally or not, by repeatedly posting a message.
This has allowed new and important topics that haven’t been widely discussed in the past to reach the top of the site’s trending list. However, it has also led to some bizarre and “painful” posts, as a hashtag can appear on the list without being vetted by Twitter. “Death hoaxes” are a particularly attractive topic for those looking to gain attention online by providing the “shocking” nature of the news they want to share.
