In the world of modern technology, we have just about every piece of information we could ever want with the tap of a button. A quick Google search can bring you hundreds of thousands of results in less than a second. News reaches us faster than ever, and we can learn about something happening on the other side of the globe as it is unfolding.
Such a great tool can be problematic, though. Anyone can post anything on the internet when it pleases them, which means that false information can spread like a wildfire. Social media is a big propagator of this – you can post a little snippet of information on your story, and there are plenty of people who will assume that snippet is absolutely correct without conducting further research.
We saw this issue with the Israel and Palestine conflict recently. Fake information and photographs alongside propaganda seem to be everywhere. This “information” tends to feed into the rage and fear people are already feeling, and it makes it really difficult to understand what information is true and what is not. In times like these, it is critical that we each possess the ability to avoid misinformation and seek out reliable news sources.
It is so easy to trust something upon first glance when you know little to nothing about an issue. Someone you follow on Instagram reposts a few bullet points of information from another account on their story, and you just assume that information is correct. The easy to digest format of this information makes it easy to glance at it and move on. The problem with this, however, is that it is an incredibly easy way to spread misinformation. If you fail to look further into the topic, you may never find out that what you saw was in fact false information.
The first step to avoiding misinformation is checking multiple sources – something a lot of people fail to do. If you see information on a current event you do not know a lot about, verifying that information through other sources is incredibly important. It is something that takes five to 10 minutes at most, and it makes you a better informed citizen. We have so much information available to us through the internet, so there is absolutely no reason someone should be misinformed because they only read one source on the topic. It’s as simple as that.
Finding and trusting credible news sources is also extremely important in staying well informed. A rant on Facebook from someone’s grandmother should never be taken as reliable information. Sticking to well known news sources that are widely considered reliable will help keep you from falling down the rabbit hole of misinformation. Make sure that you use critical thinking skills when it comes to news sources and determining their reliability – the New York Times is most likely going to be more reliable than a news site that nobody has heard of before.
It is also a good idea to read sources from both political sides. Seeing what both sides are saying and checking with any middle ground sources can help keep your biases in check and help you better understand what is going on. Only reading from one side can build up biases that you are not even aware of, so it is best to make sure that you are reading from a variety of sources and getting the full picture.
With information flying around everywhere all the time, it can certainly be difficult to separate the real from the fake. We all must bear the burden of determining what to trust and what to not. Being a well informed citizen is so important, so do your job and make sure that you know how to find reliable sources and avoid misinformation.