“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” – Mark Twain
Who likes being fooled by a con?
Scams are one thing, and there’re tips to avoid those, whether via USPS (paper) mail, phone, email, text, etc. Whether obvious or not, the business model typically is about money – monetizing your personal data, either directly or indirectly.
But what’s the business model for misinfo, disinfo, and all the varieties of outright falsehoods / fabrication / propaganda? What’s the payoff?
For example, instilling outrage always has an agenda, seeking our buy-in. Creating uncertainty – where there really is well-established consensus – alters policy decisions. And now AI is in the mix.
Social media is a delirious, inexhaustible fountain of information … what could go …
If you are not paying for the product (or service), you are the product.
“You can’t reason someone out of something that they weren’t reasoned into in the first place.” – Mark Twain
Critical thinking requires reflection. Yet, we are prone to taking shortcuts. Gut reactions.
Here’re some tips to avoid rabbit holes of deception. See the full article for details.
Think about who would benefit from spreading confusing information during a news event. … Some [misinformation] is created just for fun or to troll people, so be as skeptical of silly stories as serious ones.
Why misinformation exists
Examine your gut reaction
Slow down while reading or watching
Find the original sources
Make a collection of trusted sources
Don’t use AI to get news
Seek out additional context about news events
Use these tricks to spot AI images
Vet videos and real images, too
Use fact-checking sites and tools
Related posts
• Midstream Musings > “the speed of truth – Mark Twain quotes” – Pondering the challenge and pace of misinformation … some famous Mark Twain quotes from a time before social media and AI bots.
Related books
Kosseff, Jeff (2023). Liar in a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation. Johns Hopkins University Press. Kindle Edition.
DiResta, Renee (2024). Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality. PublicAffairs. Kindle Edition.
Countering fiction with facts doesn’t always work. Tips on avoiding rabbit holes of deception do not apply where “truth is almost beside the point” – where “belief in the unbelievable … stems from desperation to meet fundamental human needs … purpose, community and fulfillment.”
By their nature, conspiracy theories … give supporters an enemy to oppose and a cause to rally around. … Or how latching onto delusions that offer convenient answers and clear villains in times of debilitating uncertainty can restore feelings of agency and security.
There’s no singular mold of conspiracy theorists or set of circumstances that shapes them. In my research, I’ve encountered people of all generations, classes, races and political leanings.
As more Americans turn to conspiracy theories to cope, we must remind ourselves that we can’t do away with delusions that meet people’s fundamental needs by simply debunking them.
