In today’s world, everyone wants to be up to date on happenings. We are quick to believe the slightest information on social media platforms. Being misinformed is like being under a rock.
Social media is a space that harbours a plethora of information. It is fast becoming the most accessed medium to get news and facts about matters as well as other issues.
In the world we live today, occurrences and events are imminent, and the quest for them is ever-increasing and never quenches.
Social media includes Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Linkedin, and Instagram amongst others.
It is imminent, however, to be enlightened as to how to filter information and ensure that you are not misled in your search for novelty.
In light of this, here are some helpful guidelines to help evaluate information on social media.
Content
Take the extra effort to evaluate the content of whatever it is you’re about to consume on any social media space. In order words, engage the content thoroughly and critically to obtain a holistic picture of what is being discussed.
Contrary to this, a large number of social media users often just glimpse through messages without cross-checking to ensure they are not been misinformed.
Source
Where or who puts out the information is another thing to consider in order to avoid fake news. One good way to keep ourselves from being misled, by messages on media platforms, is to verify these messages, on a credible news website.
A minimum of three websites at least should be visited to ensure that the news is recurring and true. You might even discover that the information you’re trying to confirm has been debunked by other websites, thereby you save yourself the risk of being misinformed.
Objectivity
A lot of messages are put out there with ulterior motives, hence it is advisable to be quizzical in digesting information on these platforms. Questioning the intent of the message will help decipher fake news, misinformation and propaganda.
Research
It is imperative that research is done to ascertain the validity of the information we come across, especially if we intend on sharing them with other persons. Making research will get enable getting accurate and valid information always.
Fake news stirs our minds and emotions, they’re usually engineered to cause unrest, deceive, or disrepute an opposition. When surfing the social media space from this moment, do well to take caution.
