DEMYSTIFYING FAKE NEWS
We are living in the information age, thanks to the internet, we now have all the information we need at our fingertips.
However, not all the information you get can be true. Telling a lie in order to get online attention, views or money isn't anything new nowadays. As you are aware, it's profitable to create clickbait and entice people to one's online sites.
One very clear fact why fake/false news go viral is that they are usually just too good not to share.
Secondly, people don't usually have time to dig out the truth. Confirming facts takes effort and " we don't have all that time"... So we end up consuming the lies and spreading them to our circles.
People spreading fake news/clips are usually very smart and move with the times. They always hit a the trending topic of the day and come up with wild facts that will move people's emotions and more so the instincts of fear, hate, love or that "feel good" feeling. They will always send that narrative that one wants to hear or to believe in...
Research has shown that people over 50 years old and those who have ultraconservative views are significantly more likely than others to share false information as they have no time for indepth fact finding or are comfortable in their own perspective of life.
It is therefore very essential to confirm facts before sharing/forwarding posts. Don’t simply accept claims at face value, especially when they happen to agree with your views. It’s not hard to verify facts.
When you see an interesting post, ask yourself about the claims being made. On what are they based? Are there citations or links to external evidence? If so, check them out. If not, think about why.
There tonnes of reliable news and information available today, and the markers of quality are usually easy to spot: supporting documents, links to primary sources and prompt corrections when warranted.
It has never been easy to confirm the facts for ourselves but we need to demand for evidence. If there is none, it didn’t happen.
However, not all the information you get can be true. Telling a lie in order to get online attention, views or money isn't anything new nowadays. As you are aware, it's profitable to create clickbait and entice people to one's online sites.
One very clear fact why fake/false news go viral is that they are usually just too good not to share.
Secondly, people don't usually have time to dig out the truth. Confirming facts takes effort and " we don't have all that time"... So we end up consuming the lies and spreading them to our circles.
People spreading fake news/clips are usually very smart and move with the times. They always hit a the trending topic of the day and come up with wild facts that will move people's emotions and more so the instincts of fear, hate, love or that "feel good" feeling. They will always send that narrative that one wants to hear or to believe in...
Research has shown that people over 50 years old and those who have ultraconservative views are significantly more likely than others to share false information as they have no time for indepth fact finding or are comfortable in their own perspective of life.
It is therefore very essential to confirm facts before sharing/forwarding posts. Don’t simply accept claims at face value, especially when they happen to agree with your views. It’s not hard to verify facts.
When you see an interesting post, ask yourself about the claims being made. On what are they based? Are there citations or links to external evidence? If so, check them out. If not, think about why.
There tonnes of reliable news and information available today, and the markers of quality are usually easy to spot: supporting documents, links to primary sources and prompt corrections when warranted.
It has never been easy to confirm the facts for ourselves but we need to demand for evidence. If there is none, it didn’t happen.
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