Tag: online misinformation

How to be a good digital citizen during the election – and its aftermath

In the runup to the U.S. presidential election there has been an unprecedented amount of misinformation about the voting process and mail-in ballots. It’s almost certain that misinformation and disinformation will increase, including, importantly, in the aftermath of the election. Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information, and disinformation is misinformation that is knowingly and deliberately propagated.

While every presidential election is critical, the stakes feel particularly high given the challenges of 2020.

I study misinformation online, and I can caution you about the kind of misinformation you may see on Tuesday and the days after, and I can offer you advice about what you can do to help prevent its spread. A fast-moving 24/7 news cycle and social media make it incredibly easy to share content. Here are steps you can take to be a good digital citizen and avoid inadvertently contributing to the problem. Continue reading.

Old, Online, And Fed On Lies: How An Aging Population Will Reshape The Internet

Older people play an outsized role in civic life. They also are more likely to be online targets for misinformation and hyperpartisan rhetoric.

FORT WASHINGTON, MARYLAND — It’s late morning and roughly 25 senior citizens are learning how to talk to Siri. They pick up their iPads and press the home button, and pings echo around the room as Siri asks what she can do to help.

“Siri, what’s the closest coffee shop?” one woman asks.

“Sorry I’m having trouble with the connection, please try again?” Siri says.

A handful of employees with AARP, the national nonprofit focused on Americans age 50 and older, hover behind the participants and jump in to help. They’re in Fort Washington, Maryland, to deliver four free workshops about how to use an iPad. Participants learn how to turn it on, what an app is, how to text, and how to flip the camera to take a selfie, among other activities.

View the complete April 3 article by Craig Silverman on the BuzzFeedNews website here.