Awareness of cyberspace: Recognising the scourge of misinformation on the Internet

“Misinformation is always heightened when there’s greater confusion. Particularly around Covid, there can be devastating impact if you get the wrong information,” said Jean Setzfand, senior vice president of programmes at AARP, the advocacy group for older people. However, online webinars, classes and videos to teach older adults about misinformation are popping up, from “MediaWise for Seniors,” a programme designed by AARP and the media non-profit Poynter Institute, to “How to Spot Fake News,” a free class from Senior Planet, part of the non-profit Older Adults Technology Services. Here’s a description of some.

Senior Planet’s one-hour online session gives an overview of different kinds of misinformation circulating on the internet, including manipulated “deep fake” videos, false advertising and fabricated news. Available on Zoom, the workshop also discusses confirmation bias, recognizing satire and the concept that opinions that differ from your own do not automatically constitute “fake news.” The schedule of classes is posted about a week ahead of time on Senior Planet’s website. Registration is not required. Senior Planet classes are small enough to ask questions. At an online session last month, one participant asked what “trending” on the Yahoo! News site means. “Does it mean more people are reading it, or that it is more truthful?” she asked. (The instructor clarified that it means the former.)

Simple tips like this can go a long way. Some participants in Senior Planet’s first class in February were not aware that misinformation is so pervasive: One woman had received a text that falsely claimed that Covid-19 could be detected by holding one’s breath; she then forwarded the message. “She saw firsthand that she could not redact what she shared once she had passed it along,” said Bre Clark, a programme manager who taught the class.

Other suggestions for spotting misinformation and avoiding sharing it include evaluating whether news is from a known media outlet; noting the publication date, who wrote the content and whether the author is reputable; checking if a website has a .gov, .edu, .org or .com suffix; and determining if a website is selling a product. Participants also learn about fact-checking websites like Snopes.com, FactCheck.org and Politifact.com.

This programme from Poynter and AARP consists of online seminars, classes and public service announcements with practical tips. It began earlier this month with a 30-minute webinar and a virtual town hall hosted by Dr Sanjay Gupta, the chief medical correspondent for CNN. According to the organisation, about 41,000 people signed up for that first session. AARP posts future online events on its website.

Tips mentioned in the town hall included weighing whether content is well sourced, reading more than just the headlines, reading information from more than one source and considering “whether those sources provide good citations and reasoning,” said Dr. Gupta in the town hall. In the webinar, Setzfand highlighted how social media uses emotional triggers like anger or fear to influence or take advantage of people. She recommended taking a beat and holding off on sharing or commenting: “Before you act, pause and do a little fact-checking.”