Living in the Information Age certainly has its advantages.
Instead of waiting for weeks for a postcard or a letter to arrive from the other side of the globe, we can instantly contact family, friends and business associates whenever we choose.
Knowledge has never been more readily available for those who wish to improve their understanding of the world around us.
Good and bad news travels faster than ever thanks to our interconnectedness.
Of course, there are also downsides as well.
When we hear the term “misinformation” these days, it’s usually in the context of someone in a position of authority trying to discredit information that is inconvenient to the official narrative.
A society of individuals who are capable of thinking clearly and independently don’t need so-called fact-checkers to protect them from falsehood.
The responsibility for sifting truth from error falls squarely on our own shoulders.
This means that we must take care that we aren’t unwittingly spreading lies or deception online, especially when our passions have been inflamed.
Anyone who has ever jumped on the bandwagon for the latest outrage, only to later learn that our information was incomplete or false, knows what this is like.
That’s when we’re faced with the choice of correcting a falsehood or allowing it to stand because of a perceived ideological advantage.
When we feel our ire start to rise, that’s a good time to ask if we really have all the facts.
And if we don’t, we’re better off not saying anything.
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