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.
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.
• Washington Post > “How to avoid falling for misinformation and conspiracy theories” by Heather Kelly (July 15, 2024) – There’s a flood of real, misleading and fake breaking news and information online. Proceed with caution.
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.”
• LA Times > “Why truth doesn’t convince conspiracy believers” by Jesselyn Cook (July 28, 2024) – People who trust wild theories are often seeking purpose, not facts.