I attended this workshop that was organised by Youth Ki Awaaz. The two-hour workshop was about how the media and political parties are spreading rumours for their own advantage.
Being good citizens of our beloved country India, we need to keep ourselves updated and aware of the whereabouts of the country. After attending the workshop, I understood how deep and serious the problem of spreading wrong or fake information is. Although only a few of us could attend the workshop, it is very important to understand the seriousness of the issue at hand. The most vital aspects that were discussed in the workshop have been mentioned below:
- Misinformation
- Disinformation
- Fake news
There is a huge amount of data constantly being created in the field of information.
- Over 50 crore blogs are written every day.
- Around 35 crore photos are uploaded on Facebook each day.
There are huge numbers for us to analyse. Thus, we must take care before we share anything on the internet.
The following are some of the effects of misinformation and disinformation:
- Spreading of fear
- Confusion
- Can incite violence
- Can cause health-related issues
- Can compromise with a law-and-order situation
How To Understand Fake News
- Misinformation
- Rumour
- Irrational thoughts
- Propaganda
A filter bubble is a term coined by Internet activist Eli Pariser to refer to a state of intellectual isolation. Most social media sites provide information as per the search and history of its users. They display the content of the user’s family.
Echo chamber
Social media may limit one’s exposure to diverse perspectives and favour the formation of groups of like-minded users. This reinforces shared narratives, thus creating echo chambers.
How You Can Tune Your Inner Trust-O-Metre
Thinking and making decisions works like a barometer and once you get any sort of information, it affects our inner persona. So, we can call it our trust-o-meter as well.
There is a logical way to adopt any information.
How Can We Use Information In A Good Manner?
Before taking any news or piece of information tremendously, we must keep these three points in our mind.
- C-credible
- A-agenda
- N-need
CAN must be used to scrutinise any information we find on the internet.
There are several ways to confirm the reliability of news, such as:
1. Visual assessment
2. Identifying the news outlets
3. Checking the web domain
4. Checking the About Us section of the website
5. Identifying the author
6. Identify the central message
7. Checking the spelling, grammar and punctuation of the article
8. Analysing the sources and quotes mentioned
9. Tracking other activities of the website
10. Turning to a fact-checking website
We must keep these five points in mind while sharing something on social media:
- Who wrote the information?
- What is the source of the information?
- Where did it come from?
- Why are you sharing this?
- When was it published?
To conclude, I would like to say that all information in the workshop was given to the participants in a scientific way. We must share it with others but with care. It impacts us at a larger scale and so, we must use this weapon smartly.
Love, compassion, humanity, pity and scientific knowledge must be at the centre before you share any news or information.
#TakeCareBeforeYouShare