Do You Know How to Spot Fake News? Take the Nihilism Test.
Why stopping misinformation means avoiding passive nihilism
As bad as the Misinformation Age is in America, and as much as we all say we hate it, few of us are equipped to fight it.
If you think of misinformation as an infestation, most of us are squashing a few specimens of fake news here and there. Even if there are swarms of misinformation outside, inside our home, it looks pest-free. In truth, false facts slip under our door every day — they gather under our rugs and form a colony. We become so comfortable with the presence of the swarm that we forget where it hides, what looks like, and how to fight it.
As much as we know to be wary of fake news on social media, disinformation in televised news, and vaccine misinformation — we still find ourselves easily trusting information without ever questioning it. In light of the various COVID-19 contradictions and FOIA redactions, even the mantra “trust the science” merely leaves us wondering, “whom can we trust to share accurate science?”
If you want to fight ignorance, inequality, hatred, or systemic racism — it’s vital to stop the spread of fake news on Facebook and elsewhere by learning how to recognize misleading data, insufficient evidence, and news bias.
