Buzzfeed has one of the best articles I’ve seen on combating misinformation online. It discusses how to talk to loved ones, especially the older ones, about misinformation they might be inadvertently spreading online. In summary, the article directs us to just talk to the person sharing the misinformation, but in a private, positive and personal way. We should give context to the information they’re sharing and explain why it’s wrong or incomplete. We need to suggest to our favorite grandma to Google the issue and educate themselves while keeping ourselves educated as well.

While I haven’t seen anyone in my family share any misinformation online, likely because I don’t go onto their Facebook pages that often, I have had several discussions with my own grandmother about a range of topics. As a personal rule, I don’t have these kinds of discussions online. While my grandma is a bright woman, reading off a screen can be difficult for her. Also sending lengthy paragraphs explaining why the news article a family member just shared was wrong can be intimidating. I’ve never felt that a conversation like this needed to be immediate so I don’t immediately give them a phone call. I’ll mention it the next time I seem them, though.

Often, I go to my grandma’s house to help perform any household chores she needs help with. I usually stay for a little bit and talk about family, the neighborhood, my school/work, and occasionally politics or recent news.

One day while we were talking she mentioned the Antonio Arce shooting. At first she expressed empathy for the mother. She said “I can’t imagine the kind of pain that poor boy’s mother must be going through.” However, she then started to describe false or misrepresented factors that seemed to point to the Arce’s own actions being responsible for the shooting. During this time I was working at the ASU State Press and with a reporter had covered a recent vigil/protest outside the Tempe Police Department Headquarters. I had a better understanding of the situation than anyone else in my family because of my proximity. I didn’t tell her she was wrong. I did give her the information I knew, which she was receptive to, so that she could better understand the situation.

This is the best I think we can do. Kindly and privately provide missing context while encouraging education.

The best approach to help a friend or loved one understand the importance of not sharing false or misleading information on social media would be to be honest and respectful first and foremost, and provide research for them to be able to refer back to or even follow along on a new way of approaching social media. I would also attempt to provide examples of what can be viewed as a misinformed post vs. an accurate post from their own posts.

The first thing that came to mind at the thought of helping a friend or loved one understand the importance of accuracy is the SPJ Code of Ethics. I know I have referred to this a lot throughout this particular course, but its only because it seems to be a recipe for success for everyone who uses social media and online outlets, not just for journalists. Seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. If my friends and loved ones can understand the meaning of the SPJ code of ethics, and use that as a base to all their posts, whether their own or re-sharing, they would be greatly helping and creating strides in the right direction to diminishing misinformation.

Another key aspect my friends and loved ones can take into consideration to avoid sharing misleading information is to genuinely connect with the right reliable sources on their social media. Currently there is a ton of social media pages people follow that can look like an authentic page with credible sources, but the reality is there is usually one accurate page of a news network or outlet we should follow, vs. multiple ones that may have the same outline or format.

In this Pew Research Center article I came across recently, explains in depth different ways the media environment can anticipate changes and how society can help along the way. A quote that resonated with this particular topic of misleading and false information in this read, by Irene Wu, “When the television became popular, people also believed everything on TV was true. Its how people choose to react and access to information and news that’s important, not the mechanisms that distribute them.” This means that everyone that shares online should be able to carefully read and identify  all information that comes at hand to them, and be able to differentiate the good from the bad. Lastly, I would encourage older generations that are not as media literate to follow a routine where they can perhaps learn how to become media literate for their own and societal benefit.  As much as it is an essential tool for us, the current and younger generation, it should apply to our older generations.

Doctored images. Misleading memes. Outlandish headlines that link to dubiously-sourced blog posts.

We all have at least one friend or family member flooding our social media feeds with low-quality, inaccurate information. But is there any way we can convince them to stop?

The News Co/Lab has labeled this “the grandmother problem.”

Now, I happen to think that’s a bit unfair to grandmothers. In my experience, some of the worst offenders are middle-aged men and my millennial peers. Regardless, it’s on us to start encouraging these folks to be more careful about what they share.

Start a Conversation, Not a Confrontation

To begin, it’s important to resist the urge to call your dad out over dinner or to blame your cousin for singlehandedly ruining Facebook for you at Christmas. They’ll probably just get defensive.

A better approach involves asking them how they decide what to share on social media. Do they ever worry that what they’re sharing might not be true? Rather than throwing accusations around, bring the topic up in conversation and listen to what they have to say.

There are many reasons why people share false information online. Plenty of people are unwitting sharers, but some share knowingly. They might think they’re just calling attention to inaccuracies. Maybe they do it to make people mad. Understanding someone’s current habits and motivations will help you identify where things are going wrong and make it easier to start pointing them in the right direction.

Understand the Consequences

You should also try to make your friend or family member understand that there are real consequences when inaccurate information spreads online. Per this PEW Research Center report, nearly 7 in 10 Americans think “made-up news” has impacted our confidence in government. About 4 in 10 Americans have chosen to cut back on news altogether. Every time we share something without verifying its credibility, we contribute to these numbers.

If concern for civic health won’t get through to them, find consequences that will. If they’re interested in health and science, focus on medical misinformation. When parents are poisoning their children to “cure” autism and doctors are expressing concern that viral outbreaks can worsen thanks to fake cures and treatments that circulate on social media, the need for us all to be more careful should start to become clear.

Emphasize Ease

Finally, remind them that vetting information is not that hard. Reverse image searches can be done quickly. Visiting sites like Snopes or FactCheck.org will show them if something they found on social media has already been debunked. Taking a moment to answer some simple questions or do some light fact-checking before deciding whether or not to share something can go a long way in stopping the spread of misinformation.

If they can see how easy this is, they might just give it a try.

It can be very tricky to approach a loved one or a friend and ask them not to share false information online. Will you hurt their feelings?  Will they be offended and never speak to you again? Will you become the target of their wrath on Facebook because they have no filters when it comes to what is appropriate to share? What type of relationship do you have with them and will this affect it? Is the information being shared dangerous to someone’s health or safety? These questions come to mind when thinking about the issue.

It would seem like this is a modern problem, but people have been sharing urban myths and folklore throughout history. Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts began as stories villagers would tell each other. Aliens and conspiracy theories are part of current folklore. But when do harmless stories become harmful misinformation? You might look at someone funny if they say they saw a UFO but would probably not dispute it even if you do not believe them. But there are potentially dangerous theories perpetuated through social media that could cause harm apart from being false. Many people have strong beliefs in these theories and will not change their mind even if confronted by a loved one.

I have an older half-sister who recently retired as a nurse. I now see posts on Facebook from her that are critical of vaccination. This is a topic that gets people riled up on both sides. It seems as though the question of whether vaccines cause autism has been settled, but there are still many people, who seem otherwise level-headed, who insist that they not only cause it but a host of other health problems. But in a debate, they are adamant that the government and “Big Pharma” are covering up the facts. How do you argue with a belief?

If she and I were closer as sisters, I would probably start with a question:  What made her feel this way about vaccines? Depending on the answer, I could follow up with other questions, such as where she found her information and whether she has read any of the medical research. These questions will probably tell me whether she is open to hearing other perspectives on the issue or if she will be closed-minded. But if I feel like the conversation would damage our relationship, even though we are not very close, I will let it go.

With great power comes great responsibility, and the internet has definitely definitely become one of the biggest and most influential powers of the 21st century. With the ability to have a message reach thousands and even millions in a matter of seconds, sharing with care is becoming increasingly more important each and every day.

Knowing the credibility and relevance of the information we share and understanding the impact it may have on those who encounter it is crucial when it comes to responsibly using the internet. So, how do we address that incredibly conservative aunt that continuously shares scare tactic headlines to their Facebook timeline? Or, how do we address our Twitter obsessed friend that often finds themselves sharing breaking news from months or even years ago without checking the dates?

Policing the relevancy or credibility of our friends and family’s social media content isn’t always well received, but it is necessary if we want to encourage responsible sharing and it can be done in a productive manner. I believe that one of the most useful ways to encourage others to share with care in a way that does not jeopardize the relationship is to communicate offline about it.

More often than not, comments can be misconstrued over the internet. Although you may have intended to point out your friend’s error in a constructive way, it can easily be taken as a critique or interpreted as insulting. Rather than embarrassing someone publicly by pointing out their error to all, attempt to speak in person or in private messages about what concerns you. There is nothing noble about pointing out someone’s mistakes for all to see, and others are much more apt to listen if approached respectfully.

In addition to this, spreading knowledge is essential for growth. Sharing false or misleading information online is so easy because there is a plethora of it. If you know of more credible sources that may align with the person’s interests or beliefs, share these sources with them. Sometimes the case is that others just don’t know where to gather information from aside from social media, which perpetuates the circulation of false or misleading information.

Above all else, person to person communication and the sharing of knowledge is really what is going to help lighten the impact the grandmother problem and stop the spread of bad news. Communicating in a manner that is respectful and knowledgable is going to be taken with more consideration, and has the ability to help others learn how to spot credible information online. It may sound like a simple solution, but I really believe it is the answer we are looking for.

I have plenty of family members who share fake news, and I always do my best to educate them on why they should be more careful. In my life, it has always been best to be very nice about it, and also show them why what they shared is fake. For example, if they are sharing a fairly wide-spread fake news story, there is usually a fact check by a more reputable news source, which allows me to prove why exactly the information is wrong.

If you can’t prove why it’s wrong, in my experience, they are far less likely to trust you. Additionally, I think it’s helpful to be able to show why it’s harmful, especially if it’s news about another person that is inaccurate. For example, during pizza gate, the owner of a pizza place was given death threats because of rumors and fake news cycling across the internet. This is a real consequence of fake news that is hard to accept, and it can help people better understand the real consequences.