The Internet Is a Big Fat Liar
Hopefully you already know this… that the internet is a big fat liar. One example is this photo I’ve used. Because in reality, this dog only needs glasses for distance. He never wears them when he’s working on his laptop.
Is see so many lies these days that a part of me just wants to break up with the internet entirely. It’s a love/hate relationship. But it’s also so much a part of my world, that I can’t break up with the internet entirely. That’s okay, though, as I’ve been working on some boundaries.
A great way to have boundaries in your codependent relationship with the internet is to 1) Question everything, 2) Fact check everything you question, and 3) Leave the room if you discover you are being lied to.
Here’s an example…
“Wow! Look at this amazing picture of a baby peacock!”
Let’s walk this through the steps.
- Question everything.
Huh, I’m surprised baby peacocks (actually peachicks) are so colorful! Isn’t that odd? I mean, I’ve seen ducks and geese and other birds, and none of them get colorful until much later. And gosh, the eyes are a little too cute, aren’t they? And the placement of the flower just a little too perfect.
2. Fact check.
(This is a great thing to do before you repost something.) The cool thing is that you can use the internet to fact check the internet. Look for information from multiple, reputable sources. (Ok, I know reputable is subjective, but I’m going to assume you operate with basic, non-conspiracy fueled logic when you look for credibility). Or you could even go old school and utilize your local library.
It turns out (shocker!) that peachicks are not born colorful. In fact, it takes male peacocks at least two years to develop colorful plumage.
3. Leave the room.
Every time I realize the internet has lied to me, I shut my computer, leave the room, and go do something in the real world. This is a great way to reduce screen time, let me tell you, because the internet is damn near compulsive with this lying shit.
Now maybe you’re thinking, what’s the harm in making this cute little doctored photo? Well, maybe there isn’t harm, as long as you realize that this is not an actual representation of nature. Personally, I like my nature… natural. I don’t need the alterations.
Then there are endless, astounding videos. Amazing feats that defy gravity. I saw a man walk backwards, fall back on his head, flip over in reverse and return to standing. When you see these, ask yourself…. is it possible this video has just been played backwards? And that the man is simply doing a summersault? Doh!
This is also just the tip of the iceberg though. I see common headlines that read: 18 Celebrity Couples You Never Knew Were Gay! This will be accompanied by pictures of couples who aren’t really couples. Incidentally, it’s not really my business if any two people are a couple, nor is their sexual orientation my business, unless they choose to tell me about it.
And here’s the worst way the internet lies… by curating feeds to reinforce beliefs. I’m going to use ridiculous examples here (for fairly obvious reasons), but you’ll get the idea…
Click on a story about flesh-eating porcupines, and you’re soon to get 12 more stories about flesh-eating porcupines. Read up on the case of a kindergartner building a nuclear warhead, and you’re feed will soon be populated with stories of other kindergartners creating nuclear warheads. You’re simply not getting the clear or whole picture of the state of things.
Before you know it, you’re rioting in the streets because you fear the porcupines and kindergartners. THE END IS NIGH!
Now, this is going to sound super crazy, but what if — in addition to shutting the laptop and walking away every time we realize we’re lied to — we base our beliefs of the world on the actual world we live in.
Example: I can base my beliefs about porcupines on the aforementioned stories. OR I can base my beliefs about porcupines on my actual interaction with porcupines. And gosh, it turns out that in my reality (real life, not involving a screen), I’ve never encountered a flesh-eating porcupine. Imagine that! Nor do I know anyone who has encountered a flesh-eating porcupine. So maybe I’ve been letting that big fat liar called the internet stoke a fear with no basis?
We can apply this same technique to anything. A group of people with common interests, a profession, a race, a nationality, a generation, a sexual identity, a political faction, or an age bracket. We can believe what the big fat lying internet chooses to show us, or we can examine what our real life interactions have been with these people and use those interactions to form our beliefs.
Just a thought.
More from me on Medium here: https://medium.com/@amandaturner_95992.
