Despite the educational value interesting facts promise to deliver us, it’s important to remember to double-check them and the sources they are coming from. This is because fake news spreads six times faster on social media than real facts. By trying to generate as many clicks as possible or even influence political views, it can be particularly dangerous.
In a previous interview with Bored Panda, Daniel Markuson, the cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, said that although there’s no foolproof method to separate truth from fiction, the best thing to be safe is to check the source’s credibility. “This particularly applies to social media platforms because they are optimized to increase engagement and lack appropriate gatekeeping features that filter out misinformation.”
Daniel argues that it’s vital to weigh the claims against other sources. “If a publication makes monumental claims that are exclusive to that platform, do not take them at face value."
It’s important to be aware that unreliable news sources sometimes impersonate well-known ones by misspelling their names in the URL.
“Similarly, they might use unconventional domain extensions instead of the usual “.com” or “.org.” In general, make sure that your news comes from established, well-known sources. These types of outlets get information directly from primary sources and must uphold their reputation,” Daniel told us a while ago.
If you’re still not sure whether the source is credible, you may want to look into the author and research them in order to be sure their credibility is up to par.
This, of course, requires extra effort rather than mindlessly devouring information online, but “it is also important to weigh our own perception and not let our biases skew our understanding of events.” Daniel’s advice was to seek out differing opinions and try not to associate facts with ideological dogma.
When asked about the reasons why fake news has become so widespread, the cybersecurity expert said that it’s “due to factors that concern both the content of the messages and the technological foundation of platforms on which the news is proliferated.”
Moreover, fake news not only typically involves current affairs but also often makes remarkable and emotion-inducing claims. “This, combined with the fact that social media platforms collect data on what kind of posts users spend the most time on and feed them content with similar characteristics, provides the perfect conditions for the spread of misinformation,” Daniel concluded.
