University of Kwazulu-Natal

5 Expert Tips To Protect Yourself From Online Misinformation

Bonisiwe Shabane
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5 expert tips to protect yourself from online misinformation

Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University Researcher, JD Candidate, Royal Roads University Jaigris Hodson receives funding from SSHRC CRC and Connections grant programs. Andrea Galizia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Royal Roads University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA. Check out all the great student, faculty and staff blogs provided through Panther Bytes.

Hillman Library, Room G-65 University Store on Fifth Cathedral of Learning, 7th Floor 4200 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260 Call 412-624-HELP (4357) Submit a Help Ticket Chat with an Expert Email helpdesk@pitt.edu Search How-To Articles Bellefield Hall, Room 314 Benedum Hall, Room B-06 Cathedral of Learning, Room G-27 Cathedral of Learning, Room G-62 Lawrence Hall, Room 230 Sutherland Hall, Room 120 Virtual Student Computing Lab News outlets, along with everyone else in the world, are sharing their facts, opinions and advice on COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

With the overwhelming information that’s available, how do you know how to sift through and find only what is accurate and necessary to keep you and your community safe? Arizona State University researchers provide a few quick tips to protect yourself from fake or misleading news during this time. “If it's coming through your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram feed, don't think of it as information from those platforms, because it’s not,” said Scott Ruston, a researcher in ASU’s Global Security Initiative. "Ask yourself, 'Who is this coming from and what is the background?' If the article you read makes accusations, ask yourself, 'Who does this benefit? What’s the underlying source material?' For example, the U.S. Department of State recently identified disinformation campaigns about the coronavirus in Europe," Ruston said.

In those cases, strident claims about dangers to residents were made in order to undermine the government. “When someone asks you where you heard something, if your first inclination is to say Twitter, you need to stop and check because Twitter itself tells you nothing,” said Kristy Roschke, co-director of the... Includes Resources, Fact-Checking and Talking To Your Children When we can’t agree on what’s true, we can’t agree on anything. That’s why misinformation and disinformation (MDI) is so dangerous for our democracy – and why we all have a duty to combat it. In this guide, you’ll learn all about MDI: what it is, how to recognize it, and what to say to loved ones to keep them from falling for it.

What Are Misinformation and Disinformation? First, let’s define our terms, misinformation and disinformation, often combined into MDI. By Tiffany Eve Lawrence and Jessica Hicks Most of us spend a good chunk of our day online. It’s where we work, connect with friends, and stay involved in pop culture, news, and politics. It makes life easier and more enjoyable that we can do so much and get so much out of what we see on the internet and social media — but with that often comes...

Not only is it hard to sift through everything we come across online, but it can also be tough to tell what’s true and what’s not. Trying to sort fact from fiction in online spaces can be overwhelming and stressful. The good news is that you can take concrete steps to get better at spotting misinformation and disinformation and feel more comfortable and confident when getting information online or through social media. Being able to identify trusted sources can help you cope with the stress of information overload. And knowing what sources you can rely on can help you make informed decisions about how to take care of your mental health. Misinformation is inaccurate or false information.

Disinformation is also false information, but it’s misleading on purpose. The spread of misinformation is a major problem impacting many areas of society from public health, to science and even democracy itself. But online misinformation is a problem that is very difficult to address. Policing social media is like playing an infinite game of whack-a-mole. Even if we could address one type of misinformation, others quickly spring up in its place. Furthermore, there are valid concerns about how governments and corporations might address this problem and the dangers of censorship.

We wanted to determine how people could best protect themselves from misinformation online, so in a recent project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, we created a podcast where we interviewed... We found their answers could be grouped into 5 broad themes. 1) Alter your sharing behaviour and take more time to consider the source of the information, as Philip Mai from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Social Media Lab suggests: Fast-moving news and social media cycles can make it hard to know what information to trust. Here are a few tips to protect your mental health in the current news environment. Don’t worry about following every news alert - when there are big developments, you will hear them.

Develop a containing routine that works for you, such as limiting checking the headlines to a few times throughout the day, or muting commercials. Be especially careful about taking in news right before bed, which may disrupt your sleep. Everyone has their own perspective and leaning on issues - this is unavoidable. Knowing a source’s bias allows you to think critically and make your own choices about what you believe.

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Associate Professor Of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University Researcher, JD

Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University Researcher, JD Candidate, Royal Roads University Jaigris Hodson receives funding from SSHRC CRC and Connections grant programs. Andrea Galizia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond th...

Hillman Library, Room G-65 University Store On Fifth Cathedral Of

Hillman Library, Room G-65 University Store on Fifth Cathedral of Learning, 7th Floor 4200 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260 Call 412-624-HELP (4357) Submit a Help Ticket Chat with an Expert Email helpdesk@pitt.edu Search How-To Articles Bellefield Hall, Room 314 Benedum Hall, Room B-06 Cathedral of Learning, Room G-27 Cathedral of Learning, Room G-62 Lawrence Hall, Room 230 Sutherland Hall, Room 12...

With The Overwhelming Information That’s Available, How Do You Know

With the overwhelming information that’s available, how do you know how to sift through and find only what is accurate and necessary to keep you and your community safe? Arizona State University researchers provide a few quick tips to protect yourself from fake or misleading news during this time. “If it's coming through your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram feed, don't think of it as information fr...

In Those Cases, Strident Claims About Dangers To Residents Were

In those cases, strident claims about dangers to residents were made in order to undermine the government. “When someone asks you where you heard something, if your first inclination is to say Twitter, you need to stop and check because Twitter itself tells you nothing,” said Kristy Roschke, co-director of the... Includes Resources, Fact-Checking and Talking To Your Children When we can’t agree on...

What Are Misinformation And Disinformation? First, Let’s Define Our Terms,

What Are Misinformation and Disinformation? First, let’s define our terms, misinformation and disinformation, often combined into MDI. By Tiffany Eve Lawrence and Jessica Hicks Most of us spend a good chunk of our day online. It’s where we work, connect with friends, and stay involved in pop culture, news, and politics. It makes life easier and more enjoyable that we can do so much and get so much...