In this digital age, it is impossible to scroll throughout your phone and not come across fake news. Unfortunately, it’s just the way it is. As someone who has grown up always having and using technology, I am pretty alert when it comes to spotting fake news articles or posts that aren’t true, sadly my grandparents are not.
Personally, I hate confronting people about such things, whether its wrong facts, a made up headline, or incorrect news, I do my best to just scroll along and ignore it. If you’re an introvert you probably get how I feel. But it is always important to know when to draw the line on fake news. Both of my grandparents are avid Facebook users and it is common for them to share stories and pictures with me, regardless of whether or not its true. Most commonly incorrect information I’m sent is regarding celebrity deaths or more recently the coronavirus. I’ve seen everyone from Taylor Swift to Skai Jackson ‘die’. Luckily there are many ways to combat this and alert your loved ones that they have fallen for fake news.
Whether you’re talking to your family, your friends, or even a stranger online, it is important to engage with the person and not specifically the content. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of political activity in my news feed, whether its accurate or not its important to identify your relationship with the user and not article or story at hand. Specifically correcting an article can come across as you disagreeing with their opinion rather than trying to help them. Further, address the situation in private, whether they agree or not, you don’t want to seem as if you’re challenging them on a public site. Often it is difficult to change someones mind regarding a topic they are passionate about (and further shared stories about), so you should always expect some sort of retaliation. Offering helpful tips in order to help spot fake articles can be a life savor even if they continue to post fake news (at least you’ll know). Showcase and educate those on how to spot a fake news and always be polite about it.
You can’t save everyone from the depths of fake news, but better education on the subject can really help. Fake news is harmful to both readers and users of social media, sometimes filling people with fear and doubt. Look out for your friends and family, after all the internet is a big scary place!
