Social media is the best and worst thing to ever be created. Social media created more problems by trying to solve one problem. We are more connected than we’ve ever been, but we’re still more disconnected than we’ve ever been. The Internet contains a lot of value, yet we are getting dumber by the day (me included). According to a March 2023 article in Phys.org, online tests have found that “IQ scores have dropped for all age groups in the USA, regardless of gender.” Underneath these issues has been a hidden pandemic no one seems to be talking about–misinformation.
The Digital Age and Attention Economy have paved a path for the circulation of more information. Rightfully, all sectors of science, business, nutrition, and relationship dynamics have taken steady positions in sharing what they “believe” is the truth to us humans. Do I blame the Digital Age? Absolutely not. Social media and the Internet are playing different games. We are the creators of our problems. Many of us are at loggerheads with ourselves because we don’t have a stance. We fall victim to misinformation because we automatically assume the Internet “knows” it all. “If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything.” In such a world, the only antidote is critical thinking.
Misinformation is everywhere, and USM isn’t left out. Students believe that the internet pushes information on us to believe it all, but some students have admirably stood their ground. An anonymous student believes that the idea that “women don’t need men to reproduce” is a false ideology. Another anonymous student also believes that “religion says some wrong stuff at times.” He also buttresses that “we should believe what we want to believe and make good sense of it.” I am a neutral party in all of this. The above could be right or wrong, and it is on you to make sense of everything, or else you risk being a victim of misinformation or a victor of truth.
Misinformation has led to unforeseen emergencies as well as trivial anxiety. Therefore, to combat misinformation, the exodus of critical thinking is selective consumption. We must be selective of what we consume so we can be conscious of the energy we exude. Selective consumption is your very entrance into exponential thinking and the better you consume, the better you create. The better you create the better world you erect, and the better energy you attract. It starts with you.
Our brains house an intricate symphony of over 86 billion neurons and a pulsating metropolis of over 100 trillion synapses. These features are unique to every individual. You probably don’t need to wake up at 5:00 am to be productive. You probably don’t need to drink coffee to feel good. You probably don’t need to take alcohol to have a good time. Tomorrows are made of todays. Our trajectories are as unique as our brains. Hence, your strength lies in being different. A huge part of avoiding misinformation is figuring out your system. Find out what works for you and stick to it. Natasia, USM ’24, put it best: “People have reasons for doing what they do. It might not be stupid if you put yourselves in their shoes.” Find your reason and coincide with reasons that resonate with you.
Critical thinking is critical (pun intended). Therefore, we must question everything. Don’t end up living in another person’s reality. I’m not hypocritical, so I implore you to filter everything you see or hear.
