We live in an incredible time. All the information in the world fits in our pockets. We come across more information in a day than some of our ancestors did in a lifetime!
With all this information, though, it can be hard to figure out what is and isn't true. There are just so many sites that have an agenda, and some of them are pretty sneaky about it. So how do we figure out what information is good and what information is bad?
There are a few ways. One that may or may not work for you: trust your gut. Does the information sound too good to be true? Does the tone of the article match the content? If a page reads like a friend is talking to you and it's making serious claims about how wearing seashell necklaces can cure cancer, maybe try to find another source.
Another trick: grammar. A lot of people have trouble with spelling and punctuation, and that's okay! No shame! But if an article has been published on a trustworthy website, generally it will have been proofread to retain the image of the company.
Okay, so the website you're on has passed the previous tests, but you still can't be sure it's true information. What can you do next? Check the sources. If a website has sources, that's a good indicator, but check to make sure the sources seem legit. If the URL ends in a ".gov" or ".edu," that tends to be a very good sign.
If you still aren't sure after all of these steps, don't worry! There are many sites that can check the legitimacy of a source. You just go to these sites and look up the URL of the site you want to investigate.
Here are some resources I have used: Media Bias/Fact Check (seems entirely neutral)
Snopes (leans slightly left in politics, but information tends to be factual)
Scam Detector (use this before buying something that seems like too good a deal)
Stay safe!
- me
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