Will Misinformation Ever End?
Is Media Literacy Enough to Cease Lies, Misunderstandings, Biases, and Everything Else That Hurts Us?
A few weeks ago, as the war between Israel and Hamas began, I gave a lesson on media literacy for one of my college courses. I talked about how to be aware of what is on social media, learn to decipher what is fake news or not, what bias really means and how to understand your own. After the lesson, I gave a brief in-class writing assignment. The prompt? Will misinformation ever go away?
Most of the class believed that misinformation will always be around because of how easy it is to spread it. Plus, AI and other tools, such as Photoshop and green screen, are making it more and more easier to fool people. Also, one student echoed what I said about emotions twisting our views on what is happening in the news and how that will always happen, no matter what.
True, true, true. And sadly true. I’ve mentioned more than once how easy it is for misinformation is go around on the Internet and social media, and then among us as we chat with friends and family, face-to-face or while texting. It’s tough trying to prevent misinformation from happening. Once the cat is out of the bag, it’s out of the bag. And also, humans are both a lying and quite gullible species.
It’s nothing new. History is filled with people spreading lies, rumors, slander, and conspiracies. Some of our most known figures are known because of misinformation and even disinformation. Marie Antoinette, for example. There’s no proof that she said “let them eat cake” when told that the French people were starving, yet that has been attributed to her for over 200 years. Even as historians rehabilitate her, Marie Antoinette still cannot escape from that slander. Same goes for allegations that she was promiscuous and had lesbian affairs with her closest girlfriends; those lies were started by the people who despised her, and many people did. A cruel villainess for over two centuries and only now are some starting to realize Marie Antoinette was in the wrong place at the wrong time - that is, if anyone reads any serious history books and biographies about her.
Then there’s the Roman Empire itself. Julius Caesar often exaggerated how many died or were enslaved during his conquests. Many stories regarding Cleopatra reduce her to just a sex-crazed seductress, nearly erasing the fact that she was highly intelligent by speaking nine languages, a great politician, and strategist. There’s a lot of TikTok videos floating around about her alleged sex life just as much as there are videos focusing on her leadership and success as a Pharoah.
As you can see, misinformation is nothing new. Lies and slander are nothing new. That’s probably humanity’s oldest flaw, or sin if you will. It appears hatred, anger, and fear is what drives misinformation like this and it happened in the past, it is happening now, and likely will continue to do so until somehow to ability to lie for any reason is evaporated from our nature.
So, as long as there is anger/hate, there will be lies. Just as long as there is anger/hate, there is bias.
And if there will always be disinformation and misinformation, then what’s the point of promoting and encouraging media literacy?
Good question. I mean, we don’t give up, right?
Some may say that as time goes on, generations of social media and Internet users will get better at recognizing fake news than previous generations. Meaning, Millenials and Gen Z are better than Boomers at noticing what is fake news or not. That is according to a 2020 survey of college students. However, a recent survey by YouGov found that no generation is immune to not recognizing misinformation. Maybe the truth is mixed in there somewhere.
Technology obviously will make it harder for all of us to decipher what is authentic and what is not. Our emotions often block our critical thinking. But that doesn’t mean we should all raise the white flag to misinformation. Too much is at stake: democracy, stability, human lives.
Yes, there will always be times that we will slip up. We will always have moments when we share an article that has its facts wrong or a video that is a deepfake. It will happen and it probably has happened to you already. It happened to me. Yes me, a journalist and an English professor. I have my moments too. Just admit you were wrong when called out and move on.
The most we can do is to keep practicing media literacy. Learn what to look out for. Keep an eye and ear out for the latest technology that would shake up our sense of reality. Keep our emotions in check. Keep our biases in check. Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Know who or what you are reading about and who or what published it. Know where you stand and know where the source stands.
It’s a fight, a daily fight if you will. But it is worth it. I mean, what other option do we have?
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