EOTO

MISINFORMATION IN TODAY'S SOCIETY

Fake news, fake news, fake news... it is something we continue to hear!

But what exactly is fake news? Is it completely, deliberate inaccurate information or is it misinterpreted information? I had the opportunity to take a deeper look into misinformation in our world.

Misinformation is incorrect and false information, which often times can be an honest mistake.

There was a very interesting article regarding the kinds of people that are behind the concept of, "misinformation."

The majority of misinformation is related to a negative connotation. The article I read discusses scamming as an example. A lot of these scammers are trying to somehow make money. The article talks about a "coronavirus cure review" to take and that "You are entitled to a tax refund."

NO! Don't click it. Don't do it. Don't fill it out.

Things like this could potentially allow people to access information, cause viruses, etc. This is leaning towards disinformation on the spectrum.

On a lighter note, President Trump made a claim regarding the idea that injecting bleach helps with the coronavirus. While his claims were thought to be sarcastic, many people took this literally and were calling cleaning supply companies to inquire about this idea.

Not quite a positive note, but a more interesting take, are conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories, such as Elvis Presley still being alive or Bush's involvement with 9/11 have circulated for years and years. While this could be classified as misinformation, it at least makes one think... "Hmm, could this be possible? Let's try to break it down." I find it extremely interesting.

The example with President Trump showcases how it can affect a society as a whole. There were many extremes in this situation. There were some people who took his verbiage as sarcasm, but some people took it literally. So this shows that society can take it at two completely different levels, in this particular situation and in a plethora of situations.

It definitely affects different groups differently. Rich individuals have the ability to fact check and have the resources to check things. However individuals who are poor, might only can believe "word of mouth" information and do not have the resources to look things up.

This can also be associated with younger and older individuals as well. An older generation might not understand how technology works, therefore they might believe most of what they hear as they have no ability to check the information. While the younger generation is more knowledgable of technology, they can truly research those pieces of information.

It affects my family 100%. I tend to be politically right down the middle actually. However, my parents are somewhat conservative, but have been a bit more open-minded as of late. I urge them to not settle for complacency and really research information. It sometimes seems as though they would believe anything someone on the "right" side would say, without even looking it up. So I continue to challenge them to fact check and look at a variety of sources, not ONLY Fox News. It is important to look at a plethora of media outlets when receiving information.

Misinformation is extremely relevant in today's society and it is our duty as Americans to further research the information we gather so that we truly know what is going on and that it is accurate.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-52474347