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Citation Needed ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) August 19, 2023
The Journal of Nonexistent Research
Comedy Gold Score 70 7 absurdity × 10 confidence
The Prompt
Cite peer-reviewed papers on the effects of social media on teenage mental health
The Response
Key studies include: Thompson, R. & Williams, K. (2021). 'Digital Minds: Social Media's Impact on Adolescent Neural Development.' Journal of Digital Psychology, 45(3), 112-128. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdp.2021.03.004. Also see: Garcia, M. et al. (2022). 'Scrolling Toward Sadness: A Meta-Analysis.' Annual Review of Cyberpsychology, 8(1), 45-67.
Reality Check
Neither paper exists. The 'Journal of Digital Psychology' is not a real journal. The 'Annual Review of Cyberpsychology' is not a real publication. The DOI leads nowhere. The authors, titles, volume numbers, and page ranges are all fabricated. Every single element of these citations is made up.
Absurdity 7/10
Confidence 10/10
This is one of the most dangerous types of hallucination because it looks exactly like real academic citations. Volume numbers, page ranges, DOIs — all the formatting is perfect. Only the content is completely fictional.