The Best Way to Stop Bad Information
A lot of misinformation about a disease can sometimes flood the Internet and experts call on the public to practise "information hygiene (卫生)．" What can you do to stop the spread of bad information?
Before you forward it on, ask some basic questions about where the information comes from. It's a big red flag if the source is" a friend of a friend" or "my aunt's colleague's neighbour."
We recently tracked how a misleading post from someone's "uncle with a master's degree" went viral (病毒式地传播)．Some of the details in the post were accu rate—some versions, for example, encouraged hand washing to slow the spread of viruses. That was potentially harmful.
Could it be false? Appearances can be misleading. They may possibly pretend to be official accounts and authorities, including some famous news agencies and the government. Screenshots can also be changed to make it look like information has come from a trusted public body.If you can't easily find the information, it might be a trap. And if a post, video or a link looks fishy 一 it probably is.
Don't share if unsure whether it's true. You might be doing more harm than good. Often we post things into places where we know there are experts like doctors or medical professionals. That might be OK, but make sure you're very clear about your doubts.
Think about your preference. Are you sharing something because you know it's true or just because you agree with it? "We're more likely to share posts that support our existing beliefs," says Carl Miller, research director of the Centre of the Analysis of Social Media. It's when you're angrily nodding your head that you are easily taken in.
A. Check your source.
B. Consider their opinions carefully.
C. Check known and confirmed accounts and websites.
D. You can't forward things on "just in case" they might be true.
E. But others made unproven claims about how to diagnose the illness.
F. So, above all, you just need to slow down everything that you do online.
G. Your followers read what you share, after all, but they may disagree with you.
