Morgan Freeman Dead 2012: A Call To End Virtual Murder

A recent Mstarz poll in August 2012 asked readers to vote on the punishment or consequence that they felt the virtual murderer should receive.  Nearly 50% of the readers felt that he/she should receive actual jail time.  35% believed that the person needs to be banned from all social media websites. Morgan Freeman's dead rumors are essentially virtual murder, and have played with the emotions of many fans and readers on the web.

One reader joked, "we should kill him... virtually I mean???"  while Mstarz reader expressed, "That person is a big bully and needs counseling!"

"Let's start a Facebook page that says "Long Live Morgan Freeman" and a Twitter trend that says #MorganFreemanAlive"!!" another thoughtful reader wrote.

Freeman's rep has already confirmed that the "Bruce Almighty" actor is alive, however the rumor still has not been put to rest.

The victim of the death hoax creator is not only the celebrity, but also the thousands of fans who fall for the lie.

Pamela Brown Rutledge, Pd.D, M.B.A., tried to explain the psychology behind hoaxes.

"In Twitter hoaxes, particularly those about celebrity deaths, the perpetrators are counting upon fans' emotional attachment to the celebrities to generate an immediate reaction and override a more measured response of healthy skepticism," Rutledge explained.

"While a hoax may strike some as funny, and there are undoubtedly some instances of funny ones that we might commonly refer to as 'practical jokes,' most hoaxes are designed to promote the psychological or commercial interests of the perpetrator at the expense of the victims," she continued.

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