Why You Should Not Believe What You Read/See on Social Media

VaughanJB

VaughanJB

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This is something I have a special interest in, and I've commented on it more than once. This is especially interesting to me because it affects both mainstream media AND so called "alternative media". In these cases, "doing you own research" is extremely difficult. Sure, you can Google etc., but Google only regurgitates what is thrown out there, it does no verification of information. Probably the worst affected, and most gullible, are the various Social Media platforms and the users there.

This happens in both small, and large ways. For example, an "influencer" shilling fashion might be relatively small time. On the other end of spectrum are state-sponsored efforts. In terms of the West, this is something the US government is commonly accused of. However, it's pretty well known that both China and Russia and likely top of the pile. The effects of these things can be huge, for example Nvidia lost - literally - billions of its value over night when China announced "Deepthink", it's AI effort. Turns out much of the information given about Deepthink is dubious at best.

What's the solution? Well, believe nothing you see on Social Media, for starters. Stop being convinced that popularity can be judged by what Social Media feeds are throwing up. Stop believing in group think, where radical views are presented as well supported and being thoughts of most everyone. Social Media presents what SOCIAL MEDIA is concerned with at any given point of time, and that's about it.

Also consider, sources that have levels of authentication are better than sources without it. For example, mainstream media mostly have a governing body, be it an editorial team, a regulator, or peer reviews. These are more trustworthy, but NOTHING is perfect. Social Media posts, with their random talking heads, rarely has anything like that. Most of the time it's just information going mouth to mouth (and we all known how reliable that is!)

Finally, you might be wondering if I have any data to support any of this, and that - believe it or not - is the reason I've taken time out to post this. There is an excellent site you can go look at that details how state-sponsored bots and influencer networks are used to push an agenda, and to control the common understanding on Social Media platforms. It's fascinating stuff, but I didn't want to post a lot of charts and data here - you're either into this stuff, or you're not. So I'll give you the link, and if you want to know just how pernicious this is, then go take a look.

https://cyabra.com/reports/
 

Sadly it is a problem like you said in both legacy and social media. I think it is the rush to be first gets as many clicks as possible and who cares about facts or truth. it is about $$$$ they simply do not care IF you believe anything just watch a video or open and article as the money paid is based on how many opened item or watched video .... Anyone trying to make a career out of that stuff have to come up with something over and over to maintain followers numbers or clicks to pay their rent. No need for fact/ truth or research needed. few take time to really research these things although many claim they do. and as you said google only regurgitates it.

I gave up on social media long ago and now can barely look at news on a news feed on computer. Most "articles" for example are strictly click bait with sensational headlines and nothing to support.
Does any one else love these stories where they continually use "maybe" "could" or "might" in articles this is not news it is gossip or assumption.
 
Sadly, this has been going on a long time. Twenty years ago I was trying to explain that to a woman that was convinced something causes cancer because she saw it on the internet. I explained to her that you can find anything you want to confirm your opinion on the internet. I suggested she google "cotton causes cancer". Sure enough something pulled up. I don't know what the answer is. Even reliable news sources are no longer reliable. I still use SNOPES on occasion.
 

I saw something similar recently where two doctors kinda of slugged it out over oatmeal.

One in particular started by saying it was a terrible, yea unnatural, food for humans. When squeezed he backed down and called it a food only fit for the desperately poor. Then he backed away some more, suggesting those recommending oats were claiming it was a miraculous food that just adding to one's diet cured multiple ills. In the end he defended his position by claiming that people who eat it tend to load sugar and cream onto it and/or use highly-processed flavored single-serving packets of the stuff.

The other doc didn't push oats, but he did push on the anti-oat guy. He himself is no saint though, and has his own extreme pet advice on other nutritional items.
 
What you are saying makes me feel like I am living in an possible "artificial environment "! So much of what I believe can be supported by the verification I use. That is bias too.

I will accept that it is all artificial except the parts I don't like then. :)
 
The concept of having an electronic web where information can be shared by all is rather idealistic. That assumes people are always ethical and moral. Yeah..... right! People are petty, biased, malicious, suspicious, self righteous, ignorant and in some cases- pathological. And they all have access to a keyboard. Only you can judge which news sources seem truthful to you.
 
Not every thing I've encountered online is meant to defraud, but it's still wrong. I just stop and think of how many well-intentioned people really don't know WTF they're talking about, it gets worse if they're paid. This is MY opinion, and I'm stickin' to it.
 
Of course the real issue is not that what the OP complained about isn't real but rather that there are so many in that audience that do not have the common sense, education, Internet skills, and intelligence to know the difference. As long as there is such a large gullible audience of easily manipulated, they will be.

And note, I as one that was up to my neck of my technical career involved in creating Internet hardware, do not have any post smartphone social media accounts as I've chosen as a senior that doesn't need it annoyingly contaminating and polluting my mind. Same strategy I used as a twentysomething counterculture person in the 1970s/1980s dropping out of mainstream society.
 
DebraMae said:
Sadly, this has been going on a long time. Twenty years ago I was trying to explain that to a woman that was convinced something causes cancer because she saw it on the internet. I explained to her that you can find anything you want to confirm your opinion on the internet. I suggested she google "cotton causes cancer". Sure enough something pulled up. I don't know what the answer is. Even reliable news sources are no longer reliable. I still use SNOPES on occasion.
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Yes and watch out for those chickens.
 
The Internet and Pod Casts are all about Bla-Blab-Blab. Sell advertising.
Even the forums adhere to it. A waste of time mostly.

Most large cities still have News Papers but those are B.S. too.
Read absorb, make ones own minds thoughts actually.
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Click Bait is the way of the Internet today. Complete crap.
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Word of Mouth on the Media outlets is total B.S.
========
W.W. Web is just a Carnies venue today!
Don't take any of it serious and you OK.
Disbelieve everything. ?Act on nothing.
B.S. right back.
Thats what it has become!
 
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What I learned in high school, or possibly 7th or 8th grade about critical reading, is to look for the qualifications of the author. If the author proclaims his own qualifications, exercise caution. Later in in high school and more in college, we received coaching on logic. The internet is a minefield of information that is propaganda, flawed reasoning, and just plain rubbish. Add in nonsense from Russia designed to up the level of American stupidity and weaken democracy.
 
Someone once said:
“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” - Unknown

While I don't really know the first person who said it, I fully agree with it, 100%
I hadn't paid attention to any news source since the early 2000's but started with
the latest election nonsense last summer and on... ugh!! I'm crawling back in my hole! 😅

I'd rather to be uninformed.
 
Social media is a joke. I don't rely on the internet for reliable information. Anything important that I need to find out about, I will talk to someone in person, a professional, a doctor for example. If it is news (local or global), I will watch my news station on TV (yes, I realize that can be biased).
 
I can easily guess all the knowledge, truth and its counter B.S. is now tucked in Ai closets.
It probably gluts over new ideas, imagine the smoke rising above the servers as we speak!

What's it supposed to believe? ... → ... ↑ ... ↓ ... ← nothing but flames! Complete truth never existing.
The Absolutely total Chaos of Ai, insanity nonetheless being the answers best question.
Launch the Nukes, Launch the Nukes, launch the nukes, launch the nukes, launch the nukes! ........................................................................
 
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JustDave said:
This should be a site where an extreme alert to disinformation is necessary. In it's defense, the site is heavily dependent on opinion, and takes no position on facts. It's recreational not educational.
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I doubt it, because the only ban I know of is for talking about politics, in which case, facts are not even under consideration. You just don't talk about politics. Don't get me wrong, my comment was not made to lessen the value of the forum. It's just an observation of content.
 
JustDave said:
I doubt it, because the only ban I know of is for talking about politics, in which case, facts are not even under consideration. You just don't talk about politics. Don't get me wrong, my comment was not made to lessen the value of the forum. It's just an observation of content.
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I know what you mean. My observations also. I do post educational stuff, but also a lot for recreation. :)
 

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