We’ve talked about Filter Bubbles, Fake News, and Echo Chambers, but since it’s been a few weeks here’s a quick recap:
The internet is largely designed to provide you with information you like to see, based on your browsing habits. While fun, this can prevent you from getting the complete picture on any one topic, be that the latest fashions or world news. The information you’re viewing could also be an outright lie. It’s up to you, the individual user, to break free from the cycle.
How do you break free of your own cozy nest of information? Like this:
Start by compiling a list of reliable information sources. Most major news producers in Canada – TV, radio, newspaper, or magazine – are trustworthy. Be aware that most news organizations also publish opinion pieces, or op-ed’s, that are based entirely on the writer’s personal thoughts – these may be well educated thoughts, but they are personal nonetheless.
A truly unbiased piece of news information will be non-partisan; it will tell the story without comment from the news organization or the reporter. Literally just the facts, ma’am. This is done so that you can make up your own mind. Look up information via multiple news sources in case one has additional information. Not into reading the newspaper every morning or 
tuning into the nightly news report? Follow these news organizations on social media. And make a note to go look at their pages and click on things so that Facebook, Twitter, and Google algorithms add various sources to your feeds.
Step two is to become an independent investigator. Trust no one. Not even your mom. Ouch! But trust us, this part is simple and quick to tackle. As soon as you hear some interesting information, go to your favourite search engine and look it up. For example, let’s say your mom tells you that the mayor has resigned and there’s to be an election in 2 weeks. Sounds reasonable, but when you do a quick online search you discover the mayor is retiring at the end of this term, and that there is to be a regional council meeting in 2 weeks on another matter entirely. Small details, big differences. And maybe it was just that Mom read both stories back to back but it all got tangled into one thought. It happens, even innocently.
But then rumours are started maliciously. By getting into a habit of looking everything up, you’ll discover how to tell whether news is real. Snopes.com is a great source to debunk myths, particularly anything that says “Search this file on your computer and if you find it, delete it because it’s a virus!” If you look that up first, you’ll find out that’s a critical file your computer needs to run properly, and avoid disaster. True story.
How do you search for a topic when your regular sources aren’t talking about it? Wikipedia, while NOT a trustworthy source in itself, is a good starting point. Listed at the bottom of the article are the sources that should back-up the information, and you can start nosing around there to see whether those sources are credible, and if they are, whether the Wikipedia article interprets the information accurately.
Pro tip: Don’t click on a source link. Instead, search the name of the article + the source name. For example “internet awareness series, Jelly Triangle” and view results carefully. You want articles that are presented to you from jellytriangle.com. Can’t find it in your search? The source might be fake! Go further by heading directly to the source website by typing the URL into your browser (don’t click! You have no idea where that link will take you), and using the website’s search feature to look for the article.
Read the source’s About Us, search that company and find out what other people are saying. A fun thing to do is add “reviews” on the end of your search. “sour cream and onion chips, Canada, reviews” for example then look for articles from websites that aren’t from the chip companies themselves. You want to know what outsiders thinks! Google also has a “News” option to click when you’re searching and although it’s not always accurate, it’s another good starting point.
The best way to stay out of an echo chamber, bust fake news, and burst your filter bubble is to talk about your interests and the news with human beings. Find out why they trust certain sources, and you may discover that you have access to your very own professionals.
To recap your new information cycle you’re going to:
- Create a list of reliable news sources. Use bookmarks, a pen and paper, whatever you need.
- Follow them on social media and click on their stories so that the algorithms include them in your regular feed.
- Look up everything!
- Talk to humans.
The moment you become aware of your own closed-circuit habits, you’ll start to feel claustrophobic. Let that drive you to naturally reach outside your comfort zone and really stay informed.
