Fake news: 5 tips on how to spot them
Ah, social media. A splendid concept that allows us to share photos, videos, events… Basically, everything. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. Social media has brought us a phenomenon that doesn’t do us any good, and that is becoming increasingly real: Fake News.
The reason why social media is troubling in this aspect is because, nowadays, the main source of information is no longer the media, as before. Today, the majority of people rely on what they see on the internet as the truth and don’t bother to look for other source — especially if they are scrolling through Facebook, the social network that spreads the fastest all kind of fake news, according to this study.
But what are actually “Fake News”?
Even though nowadays we have the opportunity to access all kind of information we end up living in a world of disinformation, sadly. But why? Because as the days keep passing, internet fills up with more and more information, that although doubtful, it’s easier and quicker to access. Fake news refers to information that’s not true, or that it’s out of context and can alarm people.
If you don’t want to be part of the problem, or in other words, if you want to help other people to not bump into fake information, here are five tips on how to recognize them, so that, when you spot one, you don’t feel the temptation to share it to your friends or social media followers.
1. Check the author
Is it really worth it to share something that was written or said by someone with no real background? Make sure to look into the history of the author and try to confirm if that content isn’t just meant to be deceiving.
2. Look for another sources
If you see something that, at first glance, doesn’t seem legit, seek for other fonts. If that information only appears in one or two sites, it’s because probably it is false.
3. Examine the images and videos
It’s really easy to manipulate photographs and videos, currently, using only artificial intelligence. Here, you can check a Barack Obama video where his speech was turned into a completely different thing of what he was truly saying. See? It’s really easy to be mistaken.
4. Don’t read just the headline
Have you ever heard about clickbait? Because there is so much information available, we tend to only read the headlines of articles. So, clickbait it’s a strategy — not a good one — to instantly grab your attention and lead you into clicking on a link, through the title of a content. However, headlines can be misleading — sometimes, they don’t even match the rest of the new! So, don’t believe in everything that you see, when scrolling. Take a time and read all information.
5. Make use of your common sense
This is an important one. Fake news are always presented in a way that makes your attention rapidly grabbed (that’s why their spread is so easy). So, if something feels catchy, trust your gut, and follow the steps above! Probably, you’re right.
Even though we are surrounded by so much information at every time, when looking for information that might help make decisions or validate a certain thought, people tend to absorb and believe in what better fits their needs. A good example is the preferred information during the election’s periods, when people usually take as true news that are according to their ideology, without even consider searching for opposite data.
Fake news can be really dangerous, so always keep in mind these tips and became an expert on spotting everything that’s false. That way, you can warn your friends and family about it and make the world a better — and more educated — place.
