Misinformation and disinformation are rising across social media platforms. It is important to know how to filter it out to get the facts. Use these tips and tricks to judge the information you’re receiving.

What is misinformation and disinformation?

Misinformation is when people share false information but do not realize it is misleading or false. People tend to spread information to be part of a community and adhere to the norm. Disinformation is when someone spreads information they know is false. People spread disinformation to cause distrust, confusion, or political gain.

Don’t Be Fooled Again

Pause when you come across information that triggers an emotional response. Also, remember disinformation and misinformation are trying to trigger an emotional response so you share information without verifying it. Look for these suspicious signs when reviewing information:

• It emphasized your implicit bias
• The information triggered an extreme positive or negative emotion
• Incorrect sources
• The stats are out of date or it does not have a source
• The information seem too good to be true

Review the Source

The best way to review the information is to check for the author. Review the organization supporting the article. Find out the published date and what other sources say. You should also ask yourself the following questions. Is this a well-respected news outlet? Does the website or article look professional? Additionally, there are fact-checking checking websites if you are unsure. Which are Snopes.com, Politifact.com, or FactCheck.org.

Social Media

Disinformation and misinformation are difficult to end on social media platforms because it takes full-time policing of all content. Additionally, platforms are not incentivized to deter misinformation as it increases platform engagement. Above all, stay up to date on current effects that could be influencing your social media platforms. Elections, politically charged content, scandals, and controversial topics trigger the spread of misinformation.

To stay well informed, avoid misinformation and disinformation by researching the information you read online.