Fake News! The word of the year for Collin’s Dictionary. Social media platforms are the hub for fake news, with thousands of articles published daily. In a sea of news, it can be hard to determine what is real and what it isn’t. Since 2016, the total amount of user interactions with fake news articles has decreased, however, many people still believe what they read in fake news articles. Why?
Well, fake news has gotten smarter. It takes events that have happened in real time and warps them, making it hard to tell what is fake and what is real. You’ve probably seen fake news plenty of times, not realizing it. Nowadays, even speeches from important figures can be faked using AI.
As a result of this fake news, some people have even gone as far as decreasing their news consumption. So what can you do about fake news and how can you tell?
1. If you’re not sure, don’t like, share, or comment. You don’t want more people looking at it.
2. Check the information against other sources. Look it up on google.
3. If it’s definitely fake news, make sure to report it!
4. Make sure to read the article, check to see if it says anything about not being real
5. Fake news usually relies on making you feel very strongly, so if you feel angry or etc, check again!
Have you or anyone you know ever fallen for fake news? Share in the comments.