When conducting research in any capacity, it is essential that you are consulting legitimate resources.
In the digital age, we are constantly being exposed to a LOT of information - and not all of it is accurate.
As social media rapidly increases its reach, it is becoming one of the primary ways people get their news. While this can be helpful for learning about new information quickly (and on a much more global scale), information that is circulated on social media is a lot less regulated than it is in other scholarly spheres (such as books or journal articles). This lack of regulation leads to users encountering false information.
False information can be spread across all forms of content, though it is most quickly spread on digital spheres - primarily social media. There are two key types of false information:
Misinformation: Incorrect or inaccurate information that spreads regardless of intent
This is a sort of blanket term to cover any type of false information being circulated.
Disinformation: Incorrect or inaccurate information that is intentionally spread with the purpose of influencing others
This is much more sinister!
Example - in June of 2024, it was discovered that Russia had been spreading disinformation in order to cover up the use of chemical weapons in their war with Ukraine (learn more at the link below, from the U.S. Dept. of the State)
Without learning how to determine whether information is accurate and how to find its original source, it can be easy to accidentally fall for disinformation, or even to unknowingly spread misinformation to other people. In order to protect yourself from falling into misinformation traps, consult this guide to learn more about how to critically appraise everything you read.
Remember - you are not immune to propaganda!!!
