Avoiding False Information on Social Media

Since the death of George Floyd in May and the subsequent wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the world, our society has been experiencing a long-overdue racial reckoning, where we’ve begun grappling with our legacy of oppression. Social media has been integral in disseminating information about racism and issuing calls to action. Using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and even Instagram, we’ve been able to share everything from links to articles discussing essential antiracist titles to petitions to sign to signal boosting bail bonds/grassroots organizations to donate to.

But while social media is a great tool, we have to remember that not everything on the Internet is true. Facebook and Twitter have made headlines in recent years for spreading misinformation, especially concerning the 2016 election. This problem has persisted to this day, along with the spread of disinformation. Disinformation is the intentional spread of false information, while misinformation is the erroneous spread. Both can be equally damaging to the legitimacy of a cause, and can result in loss of support and momentum.

There isn’t a way to avoid all false facts. Despite our best abilities, we’ll likely consume false facts as we peruse our social sites. But we can take steps to minimize our exposure to false information and our role in spreading it. If you choose to be politically active on social media platforms, make sure you get your information from reputable accounts, such as that of journalists or news publications. They’re more likely than citizen journalists to double-check (and triple-check) the information they put out for accuracy. And when you repost, retweet, or share links to posts/articles, make sure you read through them yourself and do some research of your own to confirm that what they’re saying makes sense. Social media can be a powerful tool for change – we just have to use it correctly.