I see Facebook as one of the biggest outlets for the “grandmother problem”. One, because I have seen the most article sharing on this platform, not to mention the wackiest headlines and misleading news being shared among my peers. Here are a few examples gathered in an article by business insider.
Two, I have also been guilty of this, specifically on Facebook. I do not share articles on there because I am not that active, but I have read information or even headlines then spread that information in causal conversations.
People, like I have, read a headline on their timeline without paying any mind to the organizations, who wrote it or sometimes do not even click on it. The headline is just so intriguing that we feel the need to share. I think the big problem is that most us just scroll past it because we might believe it, we frankly just don’t care or we do not want any conflict with the person who shared it. I have been very lucky with the courses that have taught me what to look for when it comes to the media.
But, it is still a tough concept to bring up, especially if the person does strongly believe what they are sharing; they might get defensive, take it personal, or if its political, they might think its just because of political differences. Still, there are ways to avoid this from feeling like an attack or a confrontation. One guaranteed way is to not do it publicly online. I would say bringing up this issue in person when it is just you two would be ideal. It would also make the conversation more sincere, but a private online discussion can be just as successful.
Language such as, “you should actually inform yourself” or “stop sharing this” can easily be avoided. A good way to start can be along the lines of, “Hey I read that article you shared and something makes me feel a little skeptical. I read this other article by a very credible organization/author and they are saying this instead”. Or “Hey those articles from those sketchy organizations don’t seem to reliable”. I would even consider telling them what I have been learning and how I have applied it to my news intake to make them also consider their news consumption. Then you can get into the topic of why it is important to not add any fuel to misinformation.
A great example is the rumors that were being spread in the beginning of the year about a draft. You can easily tell a friend who shared this story, “Dont worry thats false news and provide some real information from a reliable source to support why it is misleading. Also bringing up previous false news stories is a good way to help them understand why not sharing misleading information is important. Another example is the coronavirus. It has had its share of misleading information with lots on consequences because of it.
Overall, emphasizing the importance of fact checking before sending or repeating any information can go a long way. As long as you do not make the person feel guilty and show them that avoiding misleading information benefits everyone you will do great.
