Final answer:
A hoax is the creation of a fake event disguised as the truth, often involving deceitful news stories with no factual basis, similar to a deceptive game. Critical thinking and heuristics are vital in identifying and avoiding hoaxes.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hoax is a fabrication of a fake event that is made to look like the truth. When creating hoaxes, individuals often create fake news stories masquerading as actual news, but these stories lack any basis. The goal is to deceive people into believing something false, which can often lead to misunderstanding and spreading of misinformation.
A good way to think about this is similar to a game, where the hoax creator is competing against the truth, and they use various strategies under the guise of known rules or expected norms to win over the audience's belief. It is always important to apply critical thinking and heuristics, which are cognitive shortcuts that help us make decisions quickly, such as looking for credible sources or cross-checking information, to avoid being misled by hoaxes.