Are we really in the age of Disinformation?
We’ve all heard it, a conspiracy theory here, a “fake news” report there, falsehoods being shared on social media, stupidity going viral!
It seems that in this age where so much information is available, we STILL can’t have access to the truth as a matter of fact.
Blame it on whatever you want: leaders, corporation, the ease with which we can share our opinions and pass them on as fact, the sheer amount of unchecked information online...
But the truth is, there are ways to get factual information. We just have to look within. No wait! Hear me out, this is not new age philosophy or teddy bear fluff motivational talk nonsense.
I’m talking about checking for our own echo chambers (a situation in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed system). We do have to look at our own biases and question what we read or hear objectively. Not cynically, but with a degree of critical thinking.
Asking ourselves these 4 simple questions, when hearing a piece of news or information, are quite handy:
1) Why am I reading/listening to this?
2) Is the author of this piece of information, sharing it to inform or to sensitise people?
3) How can I verify this information?
4) Are these all the facts and are they represented accuately.
So yes, we indeed have to “look within” not as a way to intuitively weed out disinformation (by following our feelings, instincts etc...), but rather as a way to quickly evaluate what we come across. Of course there is more to fact checking, but this is a start.
So, although there is a lot of rubbish out there, it only becomes dangerous when we ingest it without checking. It’s tidious but worth it: This era does not have to be the age of disinformation for us.
