Articles, blogs and videos galore on the world wide web….we view them has helpful and convenient. Information is readily available at the click of a mouse. Think of the internet as one big virtual and endless worldwide newspaper. We are able to see things and find out interesting facts we would never have been able to 20 years ago. It keeps us in the loop with world events and keeps us connected to friends and family. It is also an amazing tool for business marketing. We all know many downfalls to the internet as well, but let’s concentrate on one particular issue that people tend to not give a second thought about.
It leaves it open to anyone and everyone to share with the world what they know, believe, or think they know. It’s great that we can share our passions, but a lot of times there are elements that completely disregard those who have truly studied and worked hard to gain the knowledge they have and that create a biased opinion or partially-erred article instead of a factual piece of information.
50 years ago you wouldn’t find an average joe just writing a book about nutrition or building a house. The authors had years of experience and/or a degree under their belt. Even book topics nowadays have gotten out of hand. You can literally publish a book on anything.
Facebook, in particular, is a gateway for such information and it floods our walls. The title is intriguing- some people just Like to agree with the title or they actually proceed to read the article and believe every word it says. Of course there are others who know the facts or do the research, but that number is slim to none.
So, to clear things up, here are the mistakes people make when they see things on the internet and how we should go about changing that:
Mistake #1- Only reading the title.
It’s enticing and has sparked your curiosity. You agree with what the title says that you assume the content is legitimately backing it up. On the contrary, a lot of ‘writers’ know how to get your attention in order for you to agree with them so that you will pass it along. I’ve come across several instances where people have posted something and it was obvious they didn’t read it. I also have been pulled in by a title and then read the article or blog only to find out how vague, inaccurate or biased it was.
Solution- Read or watch the whole thing in its entirety. If you don’t have time, then you should not like or repost it. Simple as that.
It’s enticing and has sparked your curiosity. You agree with what the title says that you assume the content is legitimately backing it up. On the contrary, a lot of ‘writers’ know how to get your attention in order for you to agree with them so that you will pass it along. I’ve come across several instances where people have posted something and it was obvious they didn’t read it. I also have been pulled in by a title and then read the article or blog only to find out how vague, inaccurate or biased it was.
Solution- Read or watch the whole thing in its entirety. If you don’t have time, then you should not like or repost it. Simple as that.
Mistake #2- Believing what the author is saying.
Ooh that article was appealing! I should take the advice of this anonymous person because it sounds easy, safe and true! Again, a lot of authors can entice you and use wording that sounds convincing. When sentences include ‘research shows’, ‘it’s been proven’ or using words such as ‘effective’, ‘promising’, ‘guaranteed’, ‘it worked for me’ are bound to make believers out of some. This next part is a good segway into Mistake #3 and is broken up into 2 separate solutions.
One Solution- Pay attention to who wrote the article or posted the video. Is it from someone trusted like a scholar, professional or some accredited institute? Or is it just some average joe that has a passion for the topic? Google them if need be.
The Other Solution- Research what the author is claiming to be true. Can you collect enough feasible evidence for or against? If you don’t have anything solid enough and you’re still not sure, then it’s safe to say that it’s not worth your while. Move on.
Ooh that article was appealing! I should take the advice of this anonymous person because it sounds easy, safe and true! Again, a lot of authors can entice you and use wording that sounds convincing. When sentences include ‘research shows’, ‘it’s been proven’ or using words such as ‘effective’, ‘promising’, ‘guaranteed’, ‘it worked for me’ are bound to make believers out of some. This next part is a good segway into Mistake #3 and is broken up into 2 separate solutions.
One Solution- Pay attention to who wrote the article or posted the video. Is it from someone trusted like a scholar, professional or some accredited institute? Or is it just some average joe that has a passion for the topic? Google them if need be.
The Other Solution- Research what the author is claiming to be true. Can you collect enough feasible evidence for or against? If you don’t have anything solid enough and you’re still not sure, then it’s safe to say that it’s not worth your while. Move on.
Mistake #3- Being lazy.
With that being said, I am going to make you re-read Mistake #2 and its solutions. The internet has made us flat-out lazy. No need to go to the bookstore or library when all of the information is at our fingertips, right? But does that mean you should assume that the first thing you see is valid? If you really want to know about something, there’s this skill that we all once had that you need to start utilizing again- it’s called learning. Put that noggin to use and make your brain cells do some work for a change, instead of letting your ‘smartphone’ help you. Here’s a test- try driving somewhere new in unfamiliar territory with nothing but a paper map, hand-written directions or your internal compass. I just did it the other day- it was fun and I got there just fine! Do you have your significant others’ phone # memorized? Or yours, for that matter? Or are you always whipping out your phone to refer to? See, if we rely on technology to give us the answers, we will not remember with our own brains when our phone or the internet connection is not cooperating.
Solution- Write stuff down. Take notes. Memorize it. Grab a book and read. Learn. If it’s not worth your time to do those ancient tasks, then you are truly not into it. Move on.
With that being said, I am going to make you re-read Mistake #2 and its solutions. The internet has made us flat-out lazy. No need to go to the bookstore or library when all of the information is at our fingertips, right? But does that mean you should assume that the first thing you see is valid? If you really want to know about something, there’s this skill that we all once had that you need to start utilizing again- it’s called learning. Put that noggin to use and make your brain cells do some work for a change, instead of letting your ‘smartphone’ help you. Here’s a test- try driving somewhere new in unfamiliar territory with nothing but a paper map, hand-written directions or your internal compass. I just did it the other day- it was fun and I got there just fine! Do you have your significant others’ phone # memorized? Or yours, for that matter? Or are you always whipping out your phone to refer to? See, if we rely on technology to give us the answers, we will not remember with our own brains when our phone or the internet connection is not cooperating.
Solution- Write stuff down. Take notes. Memorize it. Grab a book and read. Learn. If it’s not worth your time to do those ancient tasks, then you are truly not into it. Move on.
Mistake #4- Agreeing with the obvious.
Many articles circulating can be common sense information. Do you really need to let people know that you already know it or do you want to make them think you just realized it? Sure, we all like to share little quotes or memes that mean something to us and it may be a good way for us to remind ourselves, remind others, or let others understand us better- but I’m talking about lengthy articles or videos that blab on about stuff we were taught when we were children. ‘Natural ways to fall asleep faster’….’practice deep breathing, read a book, don’t watch TV close to bedtime, drink soothing tea’……can we get a little bit more original here? A child could write that! The thing we want is to learn something new. Why waste our time liking and posting stuff we already know?
Solution- Move on.
Many articles circulating can be common sense information. Do you really need to let people know that you already know it or do you want to make them think you just realized it? Sure, we all like to share little quotes or memes that mean something to us and it may be a good way for us to remind ourselves, remind others, or let others understand us better- but I’m talking about lengthy articles or videos that blab on about stuff we were taught when we were children. ‘Natural ways to fall asleep faster’….’practice deep breathing, read a book, don’t watch TV close to bedtime, drink soothing tea’……can we get a little bit more original here? A child could write that! The thing we want is to learn something new. Why waste our time liking and posting stuff we already know?
Solution- Move on.
Mistake #5- Disrespectfully disagreeing.
Ok, as something else I hope you were taught when you were a child, say something nice or don’t say anything at all. Well, you can respectfully disagree if you have facts to back it up, but when I say ‘disrespectfully disagreeing’, I mean don’t judge, point fingers, call names, or say that someone is wrong when you have no evidence to back yourself up. Many like to argue for argument’s sake and having a screen to hide their face makes it even easier. It’s a waste of energy and time and really just makes you look like an idiot.
Solution- Move on and grow up. Maybe get some therapy if you make this mistake a habit.
Ok, as something else I hope you were taught when you were a child, say something nice or don’t say anything at all. Well, you can respectfully disagree if you have facts to back it up, but when I say ‘disrespectfully disagreeing’, I mean don’t judge, point fingers, call names, or say that someone is wrong when you have no evidence to back yourself up. Many like to argue for argument’s sake and having a screen to hide their face makes it even easier. It’s a waste of energy and time and really just makes you look like an idiot.
Solution- Move on and grow up. Maybe get some therapy if you make this mistake a habit.
Seriously, can we just put down the laptop and pick up a book and quit acting so smart about things we really don’t know about? Technology can be valuable and a very useful tool but it’s seriously killing off our ability to communicate, learn and appreciate the facts.
transferred- original post date 4/4/2015
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