Question.963 - We get a lot of information from online sites, including our news. "Fake news" is a common term these days. It has been used in political campaigns, during a pandemic, and in other contexts. How do we know that what we are reading online is legitimate? This article from Britannica.com discusses myths about COVID-19 vaccines that have spread online. Choose one of the myths or another fake news story you have seen and share why a reader might be tempted to believe it. In your response, address each of the questions below: What seems real to you? Is there fact and fiction mixed in together to convince the skeptical reader? Where would you go to find information to validate the claims made in the example you chose? For information about evaluating online information, you can refer back to the Guidance for Evaluation page in Unit 3 or use this LibGuide: Is My Source Credible? In addition, check out this interesting article about a method you can use to determine if online information appears credible.
Answer Below:
Considering the legitimacy of the details discussed online, we need to work on our critical thinking capability to assess the information / datasets with multiple reliable sources with this understanding, using the article from the course module in terms of reality pertaining to microchip myth, there are several factors that could make one's belief; firstly the technological advancement wherein the social media discussion and TV news in relation to this myth seems more appealing and relatable to a general audience; secondly lack of education / awareness / understanding wherein we were not subjected to know more about the vaccines and how it scientifically helps us and lastly, confirmation bias, due to the pre-set viewpoint of the audience being skeptical about the vaccines, with confirmation bias people automatically incline towards their preconceived beliefs. In terms of fiction/fact mix the mixture of microchip with vaccine, a combination of both fiction with fact tends to make the myth appear more real/credible; as seen in the article, there is partial truth to whatever was scientifically known to the public with a mix of fictional misinformation that helped the article narrative a persuasive lie to the readers and also makes it challenging for the readers to cross-verify during a pandemic situation, due to reason that they will be vulnerable. In order to validate the information, use government health agencies wherein the websites ending with gov, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO), and more; Secondly, scientific / peer-reviewed journal/ research paper from websites like PubMed or google scholar. While other possible ways are consulting an expert in the specific field of science if reachable or through fact-checking websites like Snopes and Factcheck.org with these, we can debunk the myth through critical thinking.More Articles From Research
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