This goes for information and opinions you think are clearly wrong or ridiculous as well. If your main justification for “the other side really believes this” is “a screenshot of an anonymous Twitter account said they did,” think twice.
I think it’s up to us to take any comments, thoughts and perspectives we read on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and then use those as triggers to go out and do further reputable research for ourselves. Too much access to people’s opinions and using those for our own.
My favorite is assumptions based on headlines. I got downvoted a couple weeks ago for pointing out that an article and accompanying news story about a woman being mauled by dogs didn’t even claim the dogs were pitbulls and if you look at the pictures only one of the dogs even looked remotely like a pit mix. But no, facts don’t matter; only assumptions.
Having studied journalism in school, I can attest that half the reason people don't know the difference is because a lot of future reporters themselves are hardly being taught anymore. My first year of journalism classes, we learned about stuff like the inverted pyramid, finding good sources, etc.
The obvious answer is strangers online. People take opinions about politics, economics, education, and heck even actual life advice from people with usernames like QueefMaster420.
I literally just wasted a day arguing with someone who couldn't fathom why I wouldn't just believe their assertion. Refused to provide any actual evidence.
My mother in law is constantly talking about conversations she's had with her friends "and this is what she thinks about X" Like, she's an uneducated drop out who's never left her home county too, why I'm earth would I care what she thinks?
We have an...imposter among us.... there is an imposter among us.... This brother right here.... has been making claims on the Siiide.... Yes he has, pretending he's one of us
Damn Facebook. My wife believes everything she reads on it. We have some friends doing a bus tour in England currently. They posted that they ate at a restaurant and apparently it is custom in England for men and women to not eat at the same table. When I told her no, having travelled all over Europe myself, she argued that she just read it on FB! My God, you can't argue with that reasoning.
I think I know what is going on, did the woman's husband say that was the custom? Did he also say it's the custom for tourists to have sex with local women too?
Absolutely came here to say this. My mother-in-law every time. If she starts a sentence with "I just read on Facebook that..." I have to tune her out. She will quote Facebook the way a priest quotes the bible.
My aunt has often brought up crazy conspiracy shit and is genuinely surprised when I explain it wasn't true. When I ask her where she heard it, it is Facebook every time.
Fucking boomers on Facebook. I mean it’s not all boomers, I know, but the sheer lack of social media literacy that boomers have is exhausting…. Every time my parents say something completely crazy and I ask where they heard it, it’s always so and so posted about it on Facebook. And I have to explain to them AGAIN that just because someone said it on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s true and explain why it doesn’t sound right and how there’s no evidence, no sources, etc. And when they still insist that this person always knows what they are talking about (no, they don’t, they never do), I ask them, well how come we can’t find anything about that then except on these crazy people sites. And then they get all quiet. And then we’ll do it all over again the next time because it’s like they don’t remember any of it.
Also remember that news sources include additional sources. A good way to tell if a news source is bs is if they only cite their own website or even propaganda sites (like RT and such). A more reliable news source will link to actual documents or interviews (though obviously sometimes they keep their sources private for the sake of their privacy).
Whenever I see a Reddit posting asking "what's the best x for y" I know I'm about to see some stupid advice. Although some folks are generally helpful, a lot of people that aren't immediately turned off by lazy questions are the same people that don't have good advice to offer.
The woman who sued McDonald’s over hot coffee is one that leapt to mind. Everyone saying “people just sue for anything these days”… it’s actually just a very sad story and McDonald’s was awful to that lady
I always wondered…if Mussolini was so good at making the trains run on time, WHY DIDN’T THEY JUST PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE TRAINS? He’d have died in bed, a big hero…
There are so many positive things Hitler supposedly did. But when you look further into it he simply appropriated the work of others as his own. For instance the Autobahn was conceived in the 1920 by the Weimar Republic. Hitler simply did what would've been done either way.
When I was in college I would go to bars and do a Scottish accent just for the entertainment value. Well I had a Scottish friend, and I was routinely able to convince barfolk that I was the true Scotsman and he was just doing an accent. It pissed him off so much and it's one of my favorite memories.
Memes. They're funny, but always two short to get the full picture of what's really happening. They're jokes at the expense of truth, and that's not a great trade off
god damn how right you are. There are numerous events in my life with myself and others that I have on video or pictures etc, yet never fails someone I know swears up and down that shit didnt happen and when I show them videos/pics theyre quick to make excuses when in reality their memory fucking sucks.
Yes. I think the average person is aware that social media sites like IG and FB are filled with misinformation but a random Redditor that knows how to word his sentences correctly is automatically accepted as truth telling. I've fallen for this before. Everyone on Reddit is NOT an expert.
Polls. People are more likely to respond to polls if their views are extreme, because they’re the most likely to want their “voices to be heard”. People who feel persecuted for their opinions are more likely to as well, since they may view it as their only chance to make their thoughts known.
I feel like people have put enormous expectations onto meteorology. My coworkers all troll themselves by building unnecessary concern for upcoming weather. Only to have it not be nearly as bad.
So not English and I read that as literally a “bloody weather app”. For a second I thought there was a Halloween version or something 😆. Don’t mind me I’ll just back off into a corner now.
I wanna say Fox News, but in reality there are worse outlets out there. Plus, people are dumb enough to trust random posts on social media. That's gotta take the crown.
It's hilarious to watch how much Fox can be proven wrong on things. Why so many watch it is beyond me. Yes, I've heard MSNBC is just as bad to the other side of things, but Fox is just outright blatant about how they are (even their entertainment division on shows like Simpsons and Family Guy admit Fox news is trash).
I'd say look and see what percentage of a news agency or corporation donates to which party. If a vast majority donates solely to one party, you know there's going to be a heavy bias at least.
Like anyone whit a brain i know that the most reliable source of information is my Cat. And i dont know why but suddenly not giving my Cat all of the food in my house is ilegal
Lol this is one of my favorite conversations. I spent my teenage years leaning pretty far right and hating anything and everything that had to do with Democrats/liberals/the color blue/ just because "my party" told me to. But I eventually started putting actual thought into things and realized there actually are a few liberal concepts/morals/etc I agree with, and how stupid it is to just shoot down any idea that comes from the other side of the isle just because it came from the other side of the isle. Everyone is free to their own opinions, and their opinion on any given topic may align more closely with one side or the other. Their opinions on many topics may even largely lean to one side or the other, and they might call themselves a democrat or a republican because of it. And that's totally fine, it doesn't become an issue until you get to the point that all you can see is red or blue, and you allow a party affiliation to dictate your opinions rather than making up your mind yourself. I find that both Republicans and Democrats are equally bad for this. (But if you try telling that to one of them, they'll say "not my party! It's the other guys!" Lol)
But {{my side}} wing media are actually mostly not far {{my side}} and are actually a center. It's absolutely normal to want {{my thing}}. The {{not my side}} are literal {{insult}}s and are just gobbling up the far {{not my side}} propaganda, because they're plain stupid.
This is the most accurate anwser and should be at the top considering the rat fuck Murdoch's influence in Australia, US, and Britain and many other countries.
REDDIT. People don’t realize how much of an echo chamber it really is. Most of the things you read are sensationalized, taken out of context, or just lies.
Tucker Carlson. It's like if you listen to him without having been indoctrinated for years he comes off as just a ridiculous person and awful liar. Yet millions trust every word he says
I've done my research... Usually means I visited a website site on the internet. Backing up whatever view you want. Who cares if a doctor told you to do something.
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and so on. More you look in any given subject, more they will give you that subject, and not show you anything that would greater inform you.
Screengrabs from social media sites that are making claims without citations or sources.
Reddit being the obvious exception. Totally legit source as long as it’s up voted 👍
This goes for information and opinions you think are clearly wrong or ridiculous as well. If your main justification for “the other side really believes this” is “a screenshot of an anonymous Twitter account said they did,” think twice.
I think it’s up to us to take any comments, thoughts and perspectives we read on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and then use those as triggers to go out and do further reputable research for ourselves. Too much access to people’s opinions and using those for our own.
I have yet to see a post from
The subreddits that spend all day being outraged over memes as if the stories in them are 100% true is the dumbest thing I think I've ever seen.
The problem is that a LOT of people take memes 100% seriously.
facepalm
Anything political on
Article headlines
Yes, often when I read an article--not even an opinion piece--there is nothing to or little to support the headline.
My favorite is assumptions based on headlines. I got downvoted a couple weeks ago for pointing out that an article and accompanying news story about a woman being mauled by dogs didn’t even claim the dogs were pitbulls and if you look at the pictures only one of the dogs even looked remotely like a pit mix. But no, facts don’t matter; only assumptions.
I would say punditry as opposed to reading actual reporting. Most people don’t know the difference
Having studied journalism in school, I can attest that half the reason people don't know the difference is because a lot of future reporters themselves are hardly being taught anymore. My first year of journalism classes, we learned about stuff like the inverted pyramid, finding good sources, etc.
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TikTok and Facebook specifically.
Did you know the Earth is flat?
Including Reddit.
Mainstream media opinion anchors. Any opinion on the internet stated as a fact.
Reddit
The obvious answer is strangers online. People take opinions about politics, economics, education, and heck even actual life advice from people with usernames like QueefMaster420.
Thank you for your insight,
QueefMaster420
QueefMaster420
Bojack!
I literally just wasted a day arguing with someone who couldn't fathom why I wouldn't just believe their assertion. Refused to provide any actual evidence.
Don't you bully my younger brother
My mother in law is constantly talking about conversations she's had with her friends "and this is what she thinks about X" Like, she's an uneducated drop out who's never left her home county too, why I'm earth would I care what she thinks?
Tabloids
THE DARK SECRET BEHIND "INSERT CELEBRITY"
Except for bat-boy. They have pictures of him so it can’t be fake.
Social media is just crowd-sourced tabloids.
Snapchat “News” articles are the tabloids of the 21st century
I honestly miss the old school tabloids like Weekly World News. Those were the best for light reading before bed.
I once saw a tabloid headline in the grocery store aisle saying " Charles Seizes Throne and Overthrows the Queen" LOL
AskReddit
AskScience
We have an...imposter among us.... there is an imposter among us.... This brother right here.... has been making claims on the Siiide.... Yes he has, pretending he's one of us
Remember that many Redditors are 12 year olds and it helps a lot
Damn Facebook. My wife believes everything she reads on it. We have some friends doing a bus tour in England currently. They posted that they ate at a restaurant and apparently it is custom in England for men and women to not eat at the same table. When I told her no, having travelled all over Europe myself, she argued that she just read it on FB! My God, you can't argue with that reasoning.
But it's true. Read it on Reddit
I think I know what is going on, did the woman's husband say that was the custom? Did he also say it's the custom for tourists to have sex with local women too?
Facebook
Absolutely came here to say this. My mother-in-law every time. If she starts a sentence with "I just read on Facebook that..." I have to tune her out. She will quote Facebook the way a priest quotes the bible.
My aunt has often brought up crazy conspiracy shit and is genuinely surprised when I explain it wasn't true. When I ask her where she heard it, it is Facebook every time.
This one specifically. I swear ever since my mom started using facebook she's become an alt-right conspiracy theorist lunatic
I stayed at an Airbnb once where the guy was super nice but constantly had Fox News on.
Fucking boomers on Facebook. I mean it’s not all boomers, I know, but the sheer lack of social media literacy that boomers have is exhausting…. Every time my parents say something completely crazy and I ask where they heard it, it’s always so and so posted about it on Facebook. And I have to explain to them AGAIN that just because someone said it on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s true and explain why it doesn’t sound right and how there’s no evidence, no sources, etc. And when they still insist that this person always knows what they are talking about (no, they don’t, they never do), I ask them, well how come we can’t find anything about that then except on these crazy people sites. And then they get all quiet. And then we’ll do it all over again the next time because it’s like they don’t remember any of it.
Headlines. At least read the article!
How do I read articles? My attention span is 1 second.
At least read the first PARAGRAPH!!
Also remember that news sources include additional sources. A good way to tell if a news source is bs is if they only cite their own website or even propaganda sites (like RT and such). A more reliable news source will link to actual documents or interviews (though obviously sometimes they keep their sources private for the sake of their privacy).
Trust me bro
Dies this comment have a warrenty
Reddit.
Reddit constantly falls for the thing where the guy with the longest intelligently worded answer is assumed to be correct.
Or good information getting downvoted because someone replies with an uninformed "correction".
For all the preaching the general Reddit community does about "misinformation", they sure are fine with misinformation that supports certain agendas.
Whenever I see a Reddit posting asking "what's the best x for y" I know I'm about to see some stupid advice. Although some folks are generally helpful, a lot of people that aren't immediately turned off by lazy questions are the same people that don't have good advice to offer.
Yes. Honestly very easy to Google.
I'm having a hard time believing you, I'm gonna google it
Fucking. Hilarious. I commented earlier and said “don’t even bother trying to correct posts on
Don’t even bother trying to correct misleading or outright factually incorrect posts on
Some good answers already.
The woman who sued McDonald’s over hot coffee is one that leapt to mind. Everyone saying “people just sue for anything these days”… it’s actually just a very sad story and McDonald’s was awful to that lady
I always wondered…if Mussolini was so good at making the trains run on time, WHY DIDN’T THEY JUST PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE TRAINS? He’d have died in bed, a big hero…
There are so many positive things Hitler supposedly did. But when you look further into it he simply appropriated the work of others as his own. For instance the Autobahn was conceived in the 1920 by the Weimar Republic. Hitler simply did what would've been done either way.
So did nasa not use pens to stop graphite getting in the instruments then? I thought that was true
When I was in college I would go to bars and do a Scottish accent just for the entertainment value. Well I had a Scottish friend, and I was routinely able to convince barfolk that I was the true Scotsman and he was just doing an accent. It pissed him off so much and it's one of my favorite memories.
Memes. They're funny, but always two short to get the full picture of what's really happening. They're jokes at the expense of truth, and that's not a great trade off
Tiktok
Tiktok really is just source: trust me bro
Facts
Their own memory.
Sad but true.
god damn how right you are. There are numerous events in my life with myself and others that I have on video or pictures etc, yet never fails someone I know swears up and down that shit didnt happen and when I show them videos/pics theyre quick to make excuses when in reality their memory fucking sucks.
Reddit
Yes. I think the average person is aware that social media sites like IG and FB are filled with misinformation but a random Redditor that knows how to word his sentences correctly is automatically accepted as truth telling. I've fallen for this before. Everyone on Reddit is NOT an expert.
Saying reddit is unreliable is like saying you don't like the taste of sandwich. It really matters which sub.
Polls. People are more likely to respond to polls if their views are extreme, because they’re the most likely to want their “voices to be heard”. People who feel persecuted for their opinions are more likely to as well, since they may view it as their only chance to make their thoughts known.
That's why some family feud answers seem off-the-wall? TIL.
Social media
Twitter. People act like it's the holy grail of up to date information yet its all innacurate or exaggerated.
Bloody weather apps
I feel like people have put enormous expectations onto meteorology. My coworkers all troll themselves by building unnecessary concern for upcoming weather. Only to have it not be nearly as bad.
I just look at the radar. If I can't predict it by that, then I don't need to know it.
So not English and I read that as literally a “bloody weather app”. For a second I thought there was a Halloween version or something 😆. Don’t mind me I’ll just back off into a corner now.
Underrated comment.
I wanna say Fox News, but in reality there are worse outlets out there. Plus, people are dumb enough to trust random posts on social media. That's gotta take the crown.
It's hilarious to watch how much Fox can be proven wrong on things. Why so many watch it is beyond me. Yes, I've heard MSNBC is just as bad to the other side of things, but Fox is just outright blatant about how they are (even their entertainment division on shows like Simpsons and Family Guy admit Fox news is trash).
I would say all mass media. Even the New York Times has been busted for burying important stories during election season.
Memes as "proof" they're correct about whatever bs they're arguing about
Gossip
State owned or party affiliated media in some countries
Well the state directly influences social media in the U.S. so not much different.
Doesn't have to be state owned it could just be owned by a authoritarian prick like Murdoch.
I'd say look and see what percentage of a news agency or corporation donates to which party. If a vast majority donates solely to one party, you know there's going to be a heavy bias at least.
Reddit
Humans
Like anyone whit a brain i know that the most reliable source of information is my Cat. And i dont know why but suddenly not giving my Cat all of the food in my house is ilegal
I will literally believe someone’s comment on Reddit if I feel like it’s not bullshit.
You're not alone. Between the
Give it a handful of upvotes and it is now most certainly true.
Reddit
You're wrong
“They”.
IDGAF about "they"
?
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Lol this is one of my favorite conversations. I spent my teenage years leaning pretty far right and hating anything and everything that had to do with Democrats/liberals/the color blue/ just because "my party" told me to. But I eventually started putting actual thought into things and realized there actually are a few liberal concepts/morals/etc I agree with, and how stupid it is to just shoot down any idea that comes from the other side of the isle just because it came from the other side of the isle. Everyone is free to their own opinions, and their opinion on any given topic may align more closely with one side or the other. Their opinions on many topics may even largely lean to one side or the other, and they might call themselves a democrat or a republican because of it. And that's totally fine, it doesn't become an issue until you get to the point that all you can see is red or blue, and you allow a party affiliation to dictate your opinions rather than making up your mind yourself. I find that both Republicans and Democrats are equally bad for this. (But if you try telling that to one of them, they'll say "not my party! It's the other guys!" Lol)
“My radicalization is the good kind of radicalization”
But {{my side}} wing media are actually mostly not far {{my side}} and are actually a center. It's absolutely normal to want {{my thing}}. The {{not my side}} are literal {{insult}}s and are just gobbling up the far {{not my side}} propaganda, because they're plain stupid.
‘It was revealed to me in a dream’
Alex Jones
Television as a whole
Andrew Tate.
The Daily Mail newspaper
Twitter
buzzfeed
Facebook and/or Reddit.
Twitter and Facebook
The Daily Mail
Donald Trump and Q Anon
Qanon
The mouth of Donald trump.
FOX "NEWS"
Obviously. Dora taught us to never trust a fox
This is the most accurate anwser and should be at the top considering the rat fuck Murdoch's influence in Australia, US, and Britain and many other countries.
REDDIT. People don’t realize how much of an echo chamber it really is. Most of the things you read are sensationalized, taken out of context, or just lies.
Tucker Carlson. It's like if you listen to him without having been indoctrinated for years he comes off as just a ridiculous person and awful liar. Yet millions trust every word he says
Youtube videos by self proclaimed experts who are nothing of the sort.
Reddit.
Social Media
Facebook
TikTok
Reddit comment threads
Reddit.
Reddit.
Facebook.
Talk radio
Feelings.
Facebook.
AskReddit
Their gut
Facebook...like all of it
Facebook
Facebook
FaceBook. People use FaceBook as their research.
Facebook
Facebook
tiktok
TikTok
Facebook health groups
Tik tok
Facebook
Tiktok
Facebook
Tiktok. No further questions.
Tiktok
Tik tok
Facebook
Any middle aged white woman who's done her research on Facebook or any old person who has Fox on 24/7.
Reddit
Reddit
Any cable news network
Anything from the Murdoch empire or funded by the Koch brothers. Or anything funded by any fossil fuel companies.
Reddit. It's reddit.
Reddit. Quora. Twitter. Etc.
Reddit of course
reddit
Reddit
reddit
Well my family insists on sending me fear porn from Breitbart and Fox “News” so I’ll go with those.
The bible
Reddit
Fox "news"
Wikipedia. It's so easy for people to post false or misleading information on it.
Social media and mainstream clickbait tabloids
I've done my research... Usually means I visited a website site on the internet. Backing up whatever view you want. Who cares if a doctor told you to do something.
facebook, they always have fake ass headlines
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and so on. More you look in any given subject, more they will give you that subject, and not show you anything that would greater inform you.
Facebook, it always comes up with random bullshit that is not even remotely true.
Donald Trump.
Fox News
Fox news.
Studies have shown that a person who consumes no news is better informed than someone who watches Fox News.
Came looking for this one. Completely and totally unreliable
OAN, NewsMax, Fox News
Anecdotal evidence.
Zillow Zestimate
Truth social
Fox.
Fox News