With an unprecedented election upon us, we all know that we’re about to be even more overloaded with various forms of untrue BS all over social media and the internet.
People who knowingly spread false and deceptive information…on all sides of the political spectrum…are a major part of the problem.
However, the people who don’t know they’re doing it also contribute…but they don’t have to.
If you don’t want to be a “misinformation superspreader,” here are a few ways to help break the cycle of stupidity.
- Educate Yourself – Just because it’s on a meme doesn’t mean it’s true
- Recognize Your Personal Vulnerabilities – “Confirmation bias” is where you see some form of content that aligns with what you choose to believe…even though there may be no truth to it at all. Take the time to do even a little research if you’re not 100% sure about what you’re sharing
- Consider The Source – People distrust the media more than ever, but you’ve got every reason in the world to be skeptical of news that comes from clearly questionable sources, such as the now discredited “Sputnik News”
- Pause – Taking a moment before sharing content you’re not sure about can be all it takes to realize it’s probably not something the rest of the world needs to know about
- Emotional Reactions – People often “share things because of their gut reactions” to the content. Studies have proven that people tend to share more misinformation when it’s something that evokes an “emotional reaction”
- If You See Something, Say Something – Yeah, this can get you into a social media pissing contest, but you’ll be on the right side if you see something that’s clearly crap, and it’s easily provable
- Support – Going along with that last item, if you see someone you know calling out BS, then be a friend and have their back if you know they’re in the right
Source: The Conversation