Don’t believe everything you see on the internet” is a phrase that, while echoed by many, is often disregarded in the face of a shocking headline or concerning video thumbnail. It’s this very assumption that we would know and could easily recognize a lie on the internet that makes us so susceptible. We underestimate the amount of inherent trust that we put in someone with an authoritative tone and seemingly accurate statistics. The harm that this causes cannot be overstated, as seen in the events leading up to the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022 that claimed the lives of ten people. The shooter left behind an 180-page document filled with racist, antisemitic, and ignorant rhetoric—rhetoric that was backed with false statistics spread through the internet.
The danger posed by misinformation is all too real, and in an age of ever-increasing technology, it is the responsibility of students and educators alike to increase their media literacy to reduce their chances of believing false information. This article is by no means a comprehensive guide on media literacy, but hopefully it can provide a foundation to any who need it. When presented with information on the internet, you should ask yourself:
Who Said It?
Ask yourself if the person sharing this information (be it the author of an article or the creator of a video) has the authority to educate you. Is that person trustworthy? Do they have a history of spreading false information? Try doing a quick Google search of the author or creator of the content you see, and don’t just click on the first link that pops up. Websites can be just as unreliable as social media posts, including seemingly ‘official’ news sites. When checking news sources, you should ensure that information has a visible face or name attached to it. If a “news” site has no bylines attached to any of the articles, you should immediately become wary of anything they say.
What’s the Point?
Often, false information aims to anger and inflame you. When you see a post that obviously aims only to rile you up and encourage your interaction with it, take a moment to question and look further into the claim being made. If you can’t find any other news sites making the same claim, then the claim is probably false. Even if you find more articles echoing the original idea, you should ask yourself: Is this content trying to entertain you? Educate you? Influence your opinion? Or simply to make you mad? The ability to step back and critically examine information is paramount on the internet.
Is It Relevant?
When attempting to capture your attention, content will often use old or outdated stories and information. Especially when referencing statistics, articles and content will use outdated or selective statistics to perpetuate false ideas. It is important to check sources to see if the information is relevant and related. Even sources that seem reliable can use inaccurate statistics, but generally, well known and unbiased sources can be relied on. The Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart is accessible through the internet and a great way to check your sources for biases. If a website doesn’t clearly state its owner and affiliations (usually in an ‘about us’ page) you should proceed with caution. If the site is some sort of blog, you also shouldn’t trust it without further verification.
Learning to navigate the internet will only become more important as technology advances. It can seem like a lot of work to constantly remain vigilant—to fact check every bit of information that you come across online. But the dangers of false information cannot be understated, and the only way to protect yourself from falling victim to it is fact-checking. Hopefully, this article was able to shed a little light on the complicated workings of the internet, and help you navigate the maze of information in the online world.