Social media is full of fake news. Here are a few tips to help identify it:
- Avoid getting your news from social media. If you see a post on Facebook with news you have not heard anywhere else, that is a red flag.
- Don’t trust strangers. If you don’t recognize the source or the author, that is a red flag.
- Is it a meme? A meme is any image file with words on it. If a meme has information you haven’t heard before: Red flag.
- Does the information have an obvious bias? If it does, it’s probably an opinion piece or propaganda: Red flag.
- Can you verify the claims made? A quick Google search should provide additional sources.
If you’re still not sure about a post’s validity, don’t share it; wait for the following news cycle to provide more insight.