Noise amplification occurs when a system rewards what captures attention instead of what deserves belief.
Every information environment contains signals that help people understand and noise that competes for attention without improving understanding. Noise amplification begins when the environment ranks material by clicks, reaction, novelty, or emotional force. The loudest message then becomes the most visible, regardless of its accuracy or importance.
Advertising and social platforms can create this condition deliberately or through optimisation without explicit intent. Emotional intensity increases engagement, engagement becomes a performance signal, and the signal is used to distribute the message more widely. The result is an environment where attention and truth are treated as if they were the same measure.
Source: Simon, H. A. (1971), “Designing Organizations for an Information-Rich World”; Lorenz-Spreen et al. (2019), Nature Communications.