Fake news has been one of the hottest discussions these days. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat have become a new kind of necessity in our lives. With emerging leaders and thriving internet markets, social media has indeed become a main source of our information. But are we smart enough to differentiate between truth and rumor? Are we aware that jokes we don’t think cause any harm could offend someone out there? Maybe some of us would say no. What we have produced could present unintended results and influence our surroundings. Our lack of social media literacy can lead to devastating consequences. For example, the trending fake scandals of presidential candidates could destroy their reputations and voter percentages. A fabricated death report of an African American celebrity could lead to a debate or hatred. By giving credit to false information and delivering unauthenticated information behind the screen, we might witness issues ranging from arguments and fights to even a world-level war. To avoid all this sadness and misunderstanding occurring in our life, here are some tips to obtain social media literacy like a pro.
1. Always know you are in control
We need to be aware that we are the ones who are now executing the right of freedom of speech on a public platform. We stand in a place where we could actively construct messages and make people hear us, rather than simply accepting notions from mass media. So as prevailing high-tech products and apps have been put into use, there is something beyond simple pictures and videos that we should concentrate on. For example, people who are friends with you on Facebook can read your posts or comments instantaneously. The potential of well-connected social networks today lends power to everyone to distrubute news ourselves. We are not only people who create a hashtag or share a post, but also distributors, hosts, and journalists. When the microphone is put in our hands, we need to be careful not to misuse our rights.
2. Verify information
Another trick is to double-check the facts whenever you read significant information. For example, celebrity gossip has always been a hit in the media. We should try to maintain objective opinions regarding social media, even when the message is conveyed by authorities or someone that we trust. To be alert in catching online deception, search the internet or check out the official pages and accounts of people involved in news stories.
3. Ignore negative comments
Social media hurts. One phenomenon very prevalent on social media is cyberbullying. We have heard tons of cases of college girls who post selfies on social media but get vicious comments, people who win awards but are accused of cheating. Jean Kilbourne knew it best while creating the work Killing Us Softly. Women are usually scrutinized more than men and are usually judged by their curves of bodies, their faces, their postures, and other materialistic traits. Undoubtedly, this takes down their confidence and self-esteem, as well as increasing the likelihood of eating disorders. These points of view are pointless and we have to ignore them. For our mental health, we might block accounts, delete comments, turn to someone to vent, or take a social media detox if necessary. Haters are going to hate. I hope the tips above help. We are so close to being social media smart and avoid getting fooled by false news online. We just have to be alert and overcome this.