When Dr. Maycie Elchoufi saw the article “Social Media May Lead Us Into The Next World War” posted on social media on a colleague’s wall, she immediately took to responding.
The following is what she said:
I hear you. I agree with some of your points. And I also have a different perspective:
For example you say “We’re listening to random strangers online and believing everything that we see”… perhaps that’s true to an extent. However, many individuals – especially younger generations – are also getting more savvy about fact-checking, challenging the accepted narrative, and being more aware of media bias (which is largely influenced by governments, lobbying groups, etc.), and this bias is so deeply entrenched in the “official” narrative that we perceive a challenge to our long-held belief as a challenge to our identity…
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One thing I’ve found helpful, especially in recent times, is this:
When I see a post or an article that I agree with, and which affirms that which I believe to be “truth”, I search for articles or opinions that claim the opposite… as if I’m debating my own position (not on all topics, but on topics that are important to me)…
Then, I look into some references cited by opposing points of view… and I read some actual books, from a variety of standpoints.
It’s more work in the short term to do primary fact checking and understand the nuances, but it doesn’t take long to discern fact from fiction.
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The more challenging thing (for me) is trying to stay humble and amenable to adjusting my position on an issue if it turns out that my view had been based on skewed or heavily biased “truths”.
Although I don’t like the feeling of having to amend my stance or alienate people in my circle, I dislike the feeling of having been manipulated infinitely more.
So, if social media and people proclaiming things I “know” to be false cause me to challenge myself to do the work and genuinely learn (or unlearn) something, then I’d say that’s a step in the right direction, rather than the downfall of humanity.
