Social Media Users’ Guide to Spotting Differences Online

In an age of advancing technology, fake news has become increasingly sophisticated, making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. This digital dilemma is particularly relevant for younger generations who primarily consume information through social media platforms.

“Realistically, most of the time I see news scrolling on social media,” says Cecelia Bjerke, a journalism student at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). Her experience reflects a growing trend among college students and young adults who rely on platforms like Instagram and Twitter for their daily news intake.

Fellow MSUM student Lexi Hill, who studies photojournalism, echoes this sentiment, noting that she typically turns to Instagram and other social media sites to stay informed. This shift away from traditional news sources presents new challenges in information literacy.

The distinction between different types of false information is crucial to understanding the current media landscape. Dr. Aaron Quanbeck, a professor of Communication and Journalism at MSUM, explains the important difference between misinformation and disinformation.

“Misinformation typically is information that spread by mistake that people don’t realize is fake, something like satirical news,” Quanbeck explains. These unintentional errors can spread rapidly through shares and reposts, with users often failing to verify content before passing it along.

More concerning is the deliberate creation of false narratives. “Disinformation would be more of news that is purposely created to create a false narrative,” Quanbeck adds. This type of content is strategically designed to mislead audiences and potentially influence public opinion on important matters.

Bjerke has developed her own method for identifying suspicious content. “If content is specifically targeting someone or a group, it probably isn’t the most reliable information,” she says, highlighting how emotional appeals and divisive language often signal questionable sources.

The rise of artificial intelligence tools has dramatically escalated the sophistication of fake content. Today’s AI can generate convincing videos, photos, and even entire websites that closely mimic legitimate news outlets. These technologies have blurred the line between authentic and fabricated content to an unprecedented degree.

“Maybe with AI, I’ll go back and I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize that was AI,'” Bjerke admits, noting that she sometimes has to check comment sections to verify authenticity.

Hill expresses similar concerns about the challenges of determining whether photos are taken by real photographers or generated by AI. “It’s hard to figure out if photos I’m seeing are taken by real people or not,” she says, pointing to a growing problem for visual journalism.

While some AI platforms include watermarks to identify synthetic content, these identifiers aren’t universal. “There are certain AI-generated platforms that will put a watermark in so you can look for a watermark, but they’re not always there either,” Quanbeck notes.

The professor suggests applying critical thinking to evaluate suspicious content. “If you look at a video and it’s completely outrageous and people doing things that perhaps are physically impossible or people doing things that are really out of character for them, I would really be skeptical of it.”

Media literacy experts recommend several simple verification steps before sharing information online. These include pausing before sharing content, checking the original source, inspecting the URL for suspicious elements, using reverse-image search tools for photos, and looking for supporting evidence from multiple credible sources.

“There used to be a phrase a long time ago called ‘seeing is believing.’ In this day and age, seeing is not always believing anymore, and you really have to be skeptical,” Quanbeck warns.

As AI technologies continue to advance, the ability to critically evaluate information becomes increasingly vital. Educational institutions like MSUM are emphasizing media literacy skills to help students navigate this complex information environment. The growing sophistication of fake news presents challenges not just for students but for society as a whole, requiring heightened awareness and improved verification practices in our increasingly digital world.