Editor’s note: We’re looking for a variety of young voices to contribute to “Hits Different.” If you’d like to write a commentary, send it to Managing Editor Zachary-Taylor Wright at [email protected].
“Be real, be now.”
This is a reference to a recently trending app which sends out a random notification during the day requiring that a picture immediately be taken or you lose your streak. You must quickly snap a picture of yourself and the people you’re with, then post it for others on the app to see.
The purpose is to show people in real time and capture simple and otherwise meaningless moments.
However, most of the time people taking the pictures actually aren’t “being real.” Instead, they move to another spot, assemble their friends and fix their appearance to make the image look more presentable. That takes away the spontaneity and diminishes the idea of capturing where you are and how you are in that exact moment.
This is just one example of misinformation prevalent on the internet, social media, news networks and other platforms across the world.
Why is the spread of misinformation increasing? One factor seems to be how cheap and accessible it is to use social media. Tweeting, posting or commenting on or about something definitely helps the spread of inaccurate data, since anyone can access social media. Most social media apps are free to download, so anyone can post anything at anytime.
The internet and search engines are also free to anyone with access to technology. Websites such as Wikipedia can be used to promote “facts” that may not be valid or come from reliable sources. The same goes for social media. Anyone can post whatever they want on the internet, real or fake.
Adobe Photoshop and video- editor apps can be used to alter images or videos, creating doctored scenes that are misrepresentations deviating from reality.
Another reason misinformation continues to thrive and spread is, unfortunately, it’s effective.
Sometimes what we see on the internet can create a connection with us, or cause us to register certain emotions. In many of these instances, we readily accept what we’re seeing and hearing without checking the information’s accuracy. Maybe some of us repost the image or send it to someone else or a group, thereby spreading the misinformation even more. If the author or original sender is biased regarding a subject or argument, the viewer may find it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Today, journalists are supposed to practice impartiality and objectivity in their reporting and avoid inserting their personal beliefs and opinions. They are supposed to stick to the facts and verify the information they receive.
Unfortunately, misinformation is all around us, and we have just gotten used to the rubbish we see everyday through social-media posts, edited videos/photos, online news articles, news networks and invalid search engines/ websites.
If we don’t recognize the rapid growth of misinformation in our society, we will have an even harder time differentiating between what is true and what isn’t as technology continues to expand.
We must instead be vigorous about stopping the flow of false information.
It all depends on what we believe: A random source we came across on the internet, or a factual source that doesn’t push a viewpoint and creates valid content with reliable sources, evidence and information.
Grace, 14, is a Texas high school freshman.
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