Those pieces may be true or may have as much truth as urban legends. Did it make you feel good?Ī new tactic being adopted by misinformation warriors is to post feel-good stories that people will want to share. Ultimately, you are not in charge of alerting the public to breaking news, and you’re not in any race to share things before other people do.
Do you need to fan the flames?ĭuring these unprecedented times we have to be careful about not contributing to emotional contagions. If it turns out to be real, and you still want to share it, you may also want to consider the fire you may be contributing to. The story will still be there after you verify it. Chances are it was intended to short-circuit your critical thinking by playing on your emotions. If something you see online causes intense feelings – especially if that emotion is outrage – that should be a red flag not to share it, at least not right away.
