The war over fact vs. fiction is unrelenting in our ever-evolving technological society. Whether you turn on the TV for the morning news or check social media before getting dressed, we are bombarded with information before the day even breaks. The challenge? Distinguishing between what is fact and what is opinion in disguise.

We have all heard our grandparents and parents mumble an exasperated, “Back in my day…” usually to preface a complaint about the unreliability of wifi, the too-small buttons on a cellular device, or the price of streaming services. While their grievances are not necessarily unreasonable, they seem obsolete to those of us who grew up with technology at our fingertips: technology that grants us information at the touch of a button and increases accessibility to “fast facts.” The problem is rooted in the very accessibility that provides us with this information. As of 2021, 99% of Americans aged 18-29 use the internet, and 98% of Americans aged 30-49 use the internet, in comparison to only 75% of Americans aged 65+ (Pew Research Center). The addictive nature of our phones has us searching for news in places where reputability isn’t prioritized, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and websites like blogs and forums. But, it isn’t just the content on these apps that are the problem, the algorithm that tracks our interests and ensures we only see what we have previously liked is just as harmful. The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma explained it best, “Over time, you have the false sense that everyone agrees with you because everyone in your news feed sounds just like you. And[,] that once you’re in that state, it turns out you are easily manipulated, the same way you’d be manipulated by a magician.” This type of news influence becomes dangerous by promoting confirmation bias and limiting our intake of information to only one perspective: our own.

The wonderful thing about humans is that we possess curiosity; however, our tendency to seek confirmation bias often hurts us. Seeking knowledge almost to the point of obsession–through podcasts, the radio, TV, newspapers, websites, blogs, and forums–we subconsciously search for information that we agree with, as the harsh world is made more bearable by the belief that it agrees with us. Whether intentionally searching for a source that agrees with your side of an argument for an essay, or unintentionally scrolling through Instagram for the latest news, we walk straight into the trap of becoming victims to false information. But, news sources themselves are not faultless, as the majority report biasedly, even if unintentionally. For example, CNN emphasizes more liberal ideologies through what it reports and how. Its competitor, Fox News, portrays more conservative ideologies. Blatantly biased reporting has a real-world impact, which is demonstrated in how the viewers of CNN and Fox News voted and what they believed to be fact leading up to election day. Extremes like those portrayed on CNN and Fox News can harm, not help, their point. People are less likely to change their beliefs when directly confronted with extreme opposition, in fact, it will likely strengthen their beliefs overall. Shakespeare wrote: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, [that we are underlings].” It is true, even in this context. But, there are ways to improve our source choice and test for reputability.

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) outlines these four tips to check source credibility. These include checking the domain name, identifying the author and their credentials, checking the publication date, and understanding the difference between a jumpstart and a credible source. The domain name of an online source can reveal a lot about its roots. If the source ends in “.edu”, it is educational, “.gov” is government, “.org” is nonprofit, and “.com” is commercial. Although “.com” sources can be reputable, they require more investigation to check their reliability. Identifying the author(s), enables you to see if they have their credentials listed or even links to their other work. From there, you can determine if their writing is typically opinion-based or fact-based, and use that knowledge to form judgments about the source you are looking at. In addition, checking the publication date of a source is crucial to determining its relevance. An older publication does not necessarily contain worthless content, but if it deals with content, which is rapidly changing and updating, an out-of-date source may be obsolete. Finally, UTEP stresses the importance of knowing “easy” sources such as Wikipedia, personal blogs, and forums. These tools may be helpful as jump-starter sources (sources that fuel further research), but should not be relied upon for dependable information.

As we continue to navigate the world of technology and, thus, the world of misinformation, we must recognize our vulnerability to deception and confirmation bias. That is not to say that everything is a lie, rather to remember that every piece of information reported by another human being who, like you, has their own thoughts, opinions, and biases. One person’s truth is not necessarily anothers.

Sources

“4 Ways to Differentiate a Good Source from a Bad Source.” UTEP, Mar. 2017, https://www.utep.edu/extendeduniversity/utepconnect/blog/march-2017/4-ways-to-differentiate-a-good-source-from-a-bad-source.html.

“Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 16 Nov. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband.