Dear Farillio member,

On 27th April 2021, you asked our amazing expert Charlotte Armitage on the Go Far Fast Show:

“How do you know what's real? I really like hearing news and stories from people that the newspapers don't control, but is social media any better? How do you know what to believe?”

And Charlotte said:

Be mighty always, Farillio

Transcript:

“I think that's the problem with it, isn't it? Anybody can put anything that they want on there. People can put their own opinions and they can write their own pieces. At the end of the day, it's not filtered. There are no legal requirements for people who post online to write something that has been researched or is evidence-based. It's not reliable data. I think that's the problem. I think you have to take the things that you read online with a pinch of salt. However, that can be hard. I've mentioned the subconscious several times, but you don't need to be consciously aware of everything that you're seeing because the brain will filter it out and you won't even know. Some of those things will soak in and will resonate with us and stick with us. This means that even if something isn't true you may still have that inaccurate information in your mind. It can affect your perception and your judgement of things.

You only have to look at the impact of the misinformation that's been circulated about vaccines online. It's very easy for people to say they read something online. Where did they read it though? Was it an article in an academic journal or something they saw posted on Facebook, because it can be difficult to remember the source of the information when you're on a computer all day. There's no way of knowing if something is real, but you do need to look at reliable sources. Most people won't be looking at academic journals, but the news will be a more accurate source than social media. We need to use our heads when we're on these platforms and question whether something sounds right. Your instincts are there to protect you and to guide you in the right direction, so they will help you to examine what is nonsense and what is the truth.”

Ask your question:

If you have any questions that you'd like us to ask in a future Go Far Fast Show, send us a DM on Twitter or on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you!

Want more from Charlotte?

You can also find Charlotte’s answers to other questions being asked by you and your community in our Dear Farillio Expert section on our blog site, and Charlotte’s great guidance on social media and mental health here. Download the full podcast here.

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