Blog Post #9: EOTO 2

In today's day and age, we are constantly being exposed to new information every day. It can be easy for us to look at a social media post or news article published by our favorite news source or account and instantly believe everything written down. However, not every article or post contains true and reliable information. Readers can be quickly deceived by an eye-catching title and a well-looking professional blog or news article. False information can spread quickly, which is why we need to be mindful of the media we consume and do further research to make sure we are getting our information from reliable news sources. According to an article published by the American Psychology Association, the spread of false information has affected our ability to spread awareness about current topics and issues. Additionally, it has caused chaos, confusion, and division in our society because we aren't taking additional steps to ensure that we are getting our news from reliable sources.

The CISA reveals three terms that describe the different types of false information. Disinformation, Misinformation, and Malinformation. Disinformation is false information deliberately intended to mislead, completely misstating the facts. Misinformation is false, but not intended to mislead or cause harm. Malinformation is based on fact but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate. MIT Libraries confirms that any type of false or manipulated content can be used by individuals, companies, media outlets, and even government agencies. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of people including political leaders clashed over issues surrounding public policy and the interpretation of medicine. An article published by the National Library of Medicine claims that medical providers were overwhelmed by the pressure from the media and community to navigate the unknown with precision. Questions were raised regarding the potential use of disinfectants provided internally to patients with COVID-19. The CDC conducted a survey of 502 adults in the United States and they found that 39% of responders engaged in dangerous practices such as washing food products with bleach, applying household cleaners directly onto the skin, and intentionally inhaling or ingesting disinfectants with the goal of preventing the COVID-19 infection. Researchers from Stanford University claim that the elderly, youths, those active on social media, and those with fewer years of formal education are more likely to believe and spread misinformation. This proves that the spread of false information can further complicate and aggravate an already intense global issue. 

Therefore, we as a society should take the initiative by stopping and thinking after we read an article or post, and then doing additional research to fact-check our sources to help prevent the spread of false information. 

https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism facts/misinformation-disinformation

https://www.cisa.gov/topics/election-security/foreign-influence-operations-and-disinformation#:~:text=Misinformation%20is%20false%2C%20but%20not,mislead%2C%20harm%2C%20or%20manipulate.

https://libguides.mit.edu/disinfo

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7721433/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7315790/

https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/how-fake-news-spreads-real-virus