Navigating Through A Web of Lies: Focus on Technological Misinformation
This week’s topic focused on exploring the negative side of online interactions, such as the potential for hostility, harassment, trolling, and the spread of inaccurate information. It is crucial for users to be aware of these types of misleading interactions on the Internet to best protect themselves and the information that they come across to advance credibility. One of the things that deeply resonated with me from this week’s content was a quote from an article published by the PEW Research Center titled “The Future of Free Speech, Trolls, Anonymity and Fake News Online.” The quote was written by Bailey Poland and described the difficult waters of trying to monitor the internet between privacy and safety and is as follows, “One of the biggest challenges will be finding an appropriate balance between protecting anonymity and enforcing consequences for the abusive behavior that has been allowed to characterize online discussions for far too long.” I was deeply intrigued by the balance of trying to hold users on the internet accountable for their actions combated by the right to exercise their privacy. Another thing that stood out to me this week in particular was the deception that is so easily implemented on the internet and how there are active skills and methods that can be used to investigate the merit of a source and discover the truth and validity behind it. Additionally, I was shocked by the fact of how easy it is to fall into a trap of reading or exploring misleading information or that of which can be known of as “Fake News.” Furthermore, this was especially well articulated and described by Mike Caulfield, Director of Blended and Networked Learning at Washington State University Vancouver.
In my personal experiences, I have experienced very little online harassment or hostility from other people using the web. However, I know others in my life that have unfortunately had to deal with this scaring situation from unwanted people. My best recommendations to anyone that may be experiencing this type of online encounter is to be honest about the situation and seek help to address the situation no matter how small. Additionally, users should be cautious about the information that they are openly sharing on the web as well as the privacy settings that they have implemented to be as proactive to social harassment or unwanted cyber abuse as possible.
Lastly, I chose to analyze the social platform of Snapchat and how it can be associated with addressing, limiting, or enabling trolling, hostile communication, or misinformation. In my research about misleading information associated with the platform of snapchat that was founded in 2011 and now available in 37 different languages, I was able to some new information regarding a campaign adverstiment for snapchat. According to an article I found titled “On Social Media, Only Some Lies Are Against the Rules” published by Consumer Reports I found out that Snapchat’s written policies say the company allows some false information in cases where the content is newsworthy. Additionally, the article included a comment that Jennifer Stout, Snapchat’s vice president for global public policy, stated that Snapchat does not supply misinformation about health issues and voting, or to manipulated media. Therefore, my research proves that there is misleading information that technological platforms supply; which especially in this case refered to snapchat. I believe that my source, Consumer Reports, is credible because it is a well-established source founded in 1936 as well as the fact that the basis of the magazine is is an American nonprofit dedicated to unbiased product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy.
