How do you know if something is true? Let’s just sit with that question for a little bit…

I love the Internet and all of the possibilities and “freedoms” that it presents. Access to information and the ability to share with anyone is unprecedented. But we all have to remember that all of this “freedom” is not Free. Because anyone can present anything as the Truth, we have to be that much more more alert. Whatever gatekeepers exist, they’re motivations are not necessarily aligned with spreading and empowering verifiable Truth. 

So, you might begin by comparing it with something else that you know to be true. Your own experiences are the beginning spot of determining something’s truthfulness. But that can also be a trap because our own experiences are not necessarily universal and are usually heavily influence by cultural norms that may have a tenuous relationship with objective truth. Surprise, in the Information Age, it’s possible for the truth to be buried under a mountain of unqualified “observations.” And all of that requires that we don’t take things at face value but put in some effort to determine its truthfulness based on how important the information is. Stories about which celebrity is fighting with another celebrity, okay, possibly interesting, but usually not worth tracking down the evidence. Your property taxes are up this year because of all the illegal aliens waiting to take your job at the southern borders, maybe I should check the sources of that particular story before sharing it on social media. Also, it’s not enough that they list sources. If the story is important enough, you have to check the sources (remember lateral reading?). A little helpful reminder, the current generation of ChatGPT when asked to to write a research paper with sources list will do the task but sometimes the sources are made-up and not real. 

Twitter is not a source, any more than quoting a note posted anonymously on a bulletin board at the library can be considered a source. That applies to all social media, they are repositories at best and echo-chambers at worst. Not all evidence is equal. Listen, this is adult level stuff. Just because digging deep into almost any subject reveals a mountain of nuance and “shades of grey” does not mean that functional truth cannot be determined. An adult is not dependent on black and white depictions of the truth. But the honest, responsible adult wants to be as close to objective truth as possible, regardless of whether it coincides with ones own personal beliefs. So, evidence is kind of important.

What’s the line for you as far as what kinds of stories do you feel you need to explore further before sharing them on social media? Celebrity gossip? Political misdeeds? Local chicanery? Is anyone checking before sharing? 

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