Social media literacy: carefully wading through the fake news in search of the truth

We’ve all in all probability both been sufferer to or identified somebody who’s been influenced by misinformation on social media.
While most occasions it’s innocent observations about easy methods to water your indoor crops accurately shared religiously on timelines, different occasions it’s probably damaging data shared carelessly which may result in angst and even mass hysteria.
Do you imagine the whole lot you see on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? Are you capable of critically suppose of the data you learn, cross-check its authenticity in opposition to different proof, out there info, and totally different sources earlier than you make a judgement?
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“The beauty of social media is that we are able to share a lot data, however the terrible factor about social media can be that sharing of data,” stated proprietor of Bold and Italic, Michelle McCann. “Sometimes it looks like an enormous recreation of Telephone, the place the story at the finish of the line is nothing like what you began with.”
Bold and Italic is a boutique social media and advertising company primarily based in Truro, Nova Scotia. McCann began her enterprise in 2013 when she acknowledged the worth social media held for small companies.
McCann believes that, whereas there are rather a lot of people who find themselves social media savvy and go the further step to ensure the data they’re consuming and sharing is true, there are a lot of extra who imagine that, in the event that they see it on Facebook, it have to be the truth.

“Sometimes, (social media) looks like an enormous recreation of Telephone, the place the story at the finish of the line is nothing like what you began with,” says Michelle McCann, proprietor of Bold and Italic social media advertising company. Contributed photograph – Contributed

 
“Whether it’s a significant story or neighbourhood gossip, you should contemplate the supply in terms of news.”

McCann follows a quantity of news accounts on Twitter — native, nationwide, and worldwide. “That is normally my essential supply of consumption for news. I are likely to examine my feed a couple of occasions a day to see what persons are speaking about. I discover that it’s the quickest option to keep up to the mark on what’s occurring in my world.”

Question the whole lot
Echoing McCann’s thought of a recreation of Telephone, Halifax-based Kate Sullivan, who’s the Owner, CEO and on-line enterprise supervisor at Virtually Connected Solutions, thinks social media feeds contribute to fake news in a ripple impact.
“Someone posts about one thing that’s actual (or fake) and, by the time everybody feedback on it, it’s regularly taken completely out of context and introduced in a distinct gentle — whether or not or not the contributor supposed that to occur.”
She explains that one can’t all the time make sure of the supply or who’s getting paid to advertise or share data.

Kate Sullivan, who owns Virtually Connected Solutions, thinks social media feeds contribute to fake news in a ripple impact. Contributed photograph – Contributed

 
“Unfortunately, the consumption of data and news needs to be taken with a grain of salt and cross-referenced with different sources.”

Diana Lariviere, a wedding commissioner primarily based in P.E.I., says she hardly ever makes use of social media for something aside from enterprise promoting and shut private exchanges with household and buddies. She is of the view that social media is totally out-of-control and has change into a platform for misinformation and the expression of private biases.
“That stated, I’ve severe issues about censorship in any kind. I all the time fear about who could have the energy to find out what I see, hear and know. I worry being advised what I ought to suppose. That is a backward step and a really unfavorable one,” she stated.

“Always ask one other query. Never simply nod your head in settlement. In the tutorials that I supply on understanding laws, I insist on three questions being continuously at the forefront. Why? Where is that written? And, what’s your authorized or equal reference?”
– Diana Lariviere

Lariviere feels that there’s a tendency for folks to search for data in bits-and-bytes, relatively than to take the time to look at, contemplate totally different sources and perceive the full image, in order that they’ll formulate an opinion primarily based on all of the out there info.
“This is especially true of millennials who’ve grown up in the age of short-forms, emojis, and cryptic notes,” she stated.
She cautions folks to query continuously.

Marriage commissioner Diana Lariviere believes social media is an out-of-control platform for misinformation and the expression of private biases. Contributed photograph – Contributed

 
“Always ask one other query. Never simply nod your head in settlement. In the tutorials that I supply on understanding laws, I insist on three questions being continuously at the forefront. Why? Where is that written? And, what’s your authorized or equal reference?”

Information overload
Nova Scotia content material marketer Linda Daley frankly doesn’t get why folks put a lot belief in social media.
“I’m in my 50s, so it is exhausting for me to think about how straightforward it’s to be taken in. My stepson in his 20s has had some experiences the place I could not perceive how he believed what he was studying. I do not imply to indicate it is a generational factor, however relatively a life expertise factor.”
She consumes her breaking news by way of Twitter on her cellphone and normally follows hyperlinks from there onward for extra data.
“I work in advertising, so I’m properly conscious that headlines and tales might be twisted. I’m finally skeptical, so I’m normally in search of affirmation to show that one thing is true, relatively than the different means round.”
Daley additionally thinks that folks today must course of a lot data, whether or not they’re actively in search of data or not.
“We’re overloaded,” she stated. “There’s far more decision-making occurring than in the previous so our brains must take tons of shortcuts.”
On social media, in keeping with her, this comes out as fast and instantaneous choices to share one thing with out actually figuring out whether or not it is true or not.
“And some will do it consciously for consideration too.”
McCann thinks that it’s not all the time straightforward to outline or acknowledge fake news.
“Much of the time, fake news is extra refined disinformation primarily based in truth with the particulars tweaked or exaggerated — suppose of an occasion the place 20 folks attended, however the news (supply) studies a whole bunch in attendance.”
She shares that all of us endure from a scarcity of consideration when on our feeds and we share gadgets primarily based on the headline alone, with out bothering to take a look at the supply, learn the article, or examine the particulars.
“The social platforms have acknowledged that misinformation is a matter and also you’ll usually see warnings now when folks submit hyperlinks to unverified news. It’s a small step, however an vital one.”

Research and scale back
So how do folks sharpen their expertise in being essential customers of data on social media as an alternative of blind followers? The first step, in keeping with McCann, is to try the supply of the data.
“If it’s a news group you acknowledge, there’s a much better likelihood that will probably be primarily based in truth.”
Then, she advises taking a look at the date the article was printed.
“Information modifications shortly in these occasions and one thing that was true every week in the past might not be so immediately and social media algorithms make it straightforward for previous news tales to pop up in your feed.”
She additionally normally tells folks to make use of their very own proverbial scent check.
“If it looks as if it’s not actual — for instance, a Facebook web page giving freely a home or an RV — it in all probability isn’t.”
A behavior Daley is engaged on constructing herself is to disregard the minutia.
“I will not and may’t take the time to analyze the whole lot, so I deal with the issues that curiosity me and attempt to ignore the relaxation. There are methods to dam content material on all of the social media channels — it is value taking time to do this.”
Social media creates group. There isn’t any arguing that. McCann shares that she has made many real-life buddies over the years through social media.
“But it has additionally divided us and harm our general potential as a society to suppose critically,” she added. As somebody who works in social media, she sees what a beneficial useful resource it’s for her shoppers to share their companies and attain their prospects.
“But as a consumer of social media, it may be overwhelming on an excellent day.”

https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/opinion/social-media-literacy-carefully-wading-through-the-fake-news-in-search-of-the-truth-100713112/

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