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A. apply B. supposed C. accurate D. consume E. existing F. maintain G. options H. nature I. sensitive J. address K. willingness |
A recent troubling study showed that "fake news" spread significantly faster, deeper and more broadly than the truth, and the effect is even more remarkable when regarding news as opposed to reporting on natural disasters, finance or science. So how can we encourage individuals to seek online content? Leading scholars are trying hard to deal with this question.
Processing new information requires a considerable mental effort, especially when that information seems to conflict with your worldview. It takes the to admit you may be wrong. But with a great amount of conflicting information available, who's to say what's actually true and what's false? If you can't tell, why not just make life easy and go with what supports your current beliefs?
So what do we have? Many suggest that we can the issue by reforming adult behavior, but this is aiming too far from source. An alternative solution is using early education to help individuals recognize these problems and critical thinking to the information they deal with. Currently, there is a push in the US to include Internet information classes into primary and secondary school curriculums. The movement, which has received some support, aims to make fact-checking seem like second to individuals at an early age.
Primary and secondary school are to be supplying students with the skills they need to develop into productive and informed members of our society. As our society develops, the curriculum we are teaching our students needs to develop as well.
The Internet is an amazing tool, but to use it most effectively we have to accept its benefits while also understanding the ways in which it makes us dangerously . If students are still learning the practices such as writing in school, shouldn't they be learning how to the Internet responsibly as well?
