It’s always a good idea to have a critical and open mind. In general, we should think for ourselves, ask questions, and come to our conclusions with logic.
What we’re currently seeing during this COVID-19 pandemic is all kinds of information floating around the internet. Memes are being made and shared by the dozen, many of which promote fallacies.
The greatest irony of this century is that we hold the entirety of information in the palm of our hand, yet people are so quick to blindly accept some post they saw on Facebook. Seldom do people fact-check what they see on their timeline.
To stay accurately informed, we must recognize that not everything we see can be trusted. It’s incredibly important right now that we use critical thinking skills to weed out misinformation.
When dealing with a world-wide health crisis, it’s crucial that we consult the knowledge of experts, do fact-checks and take precautions. Some will scorn you for being over-prepared, claiming you’re catastrophizing, or being hysterical. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Everyone needs to look at what the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization say, rather than relying on a graphic with some text that your uncle shared on his page.
There are posts comparing COVID-19 to the flu, posts with lists of other things people die of, written in attempt to downplay the severity of this virus.
Donald Trump has weaponized “fake news” so much that many people don’t trust news reports. They think everything is a hoax, has a political agenda, or is fake news. This has made it difficult for people to recognize actual fake news.
Here are some questions to ask when it comes to information that we see online:
1. Is this showing the whole picture?
Many posts show only one side of an issue. They disregard details that help to create a bigger picture, one that is more accurate.
2. Are these numbers and statistics accurate?
It’s important to research the numbers being thrown around, because so many of them are inaccurate. Fact-check numbers and statistics and make sure to go to multiple trusted sources.
3. Is this coming from a trusted source?
A lot of the things people see do not come from the right sources. Get your information from the CDC or WHO website. Look to official sites that are run by professionals and experts.
4. Is the person sharing this biased or opinionated?
Sometimes people cannot look at something objectively and instead make assumptions based on their beliefs. They base their judgement on what they already believe, rather than what is really true. Confirmation bias plays a big part in this.
5. Is this propaganda?
Propaganda promotes one specific belief or point of view and is usually biased. Propaganda sends a false message and ignores facts.
6. Is this from a satire or comedy site?
People fall for satire all the time. They share a post meant to be satirical, mistaking it for a legit article, then other people may fall for it as well. These are real examples of fake news. It’s essential that people can recognize it. If something sounds strange or too absurd to be true, it’s usually satire.
7. Is this exaggerating?
This is a good question to ask to keep a level mind. Information can be stretched in order to show a different picture than reality.
8. Is this fact or opinion?
Opinions are often not based in facts, but personal biases and interpretations. They should be taken with a grain of salt. Never place 100% faith on an opinion.
9. Do I know enough about this topic to make a fair judgement?
If you are uneducated on a subject, don’t just share a post you saw online. Do your research. Educate yourself before taking a stance or sharing anything.
10. Is there withheld information here?
A lot of what we see does not include enough information, or is withholding it purposely. This can help shape someone’s view of something in a way that isn’t helpful or accurate.
If we evaluate everything we see online, we can come to truthful conclusions and eliminate ignorance. Best advice I can give is always look things up on Snopes.com.