Real Fake Controversies and How to Avoid Them

All it takes is a couple minutes on social media to see all of the “outrage” over whatever is happening in the world at the moment. Before you know it, you’re invested in some issue that you’ve never heard of up until that moment, and you’re left wondering, “Why?” Today, we want to explore this phenomenon of how social media brings you to care so deeply about things that are rarely actually your problem (and why it can be so harmful).

Understanding Crisis Mode

Social media has the power to make anything feel like an immediate crisis; this thing is happening right now and it needs your attention right now.

It has the maddening ability to turn even a simple misunderstanding into a serious allegation or outrage, and part of the problem is that social media is designed around engagement. These platforms want to push content out to people who will read it, and they profit off of the views, whether they are in the name of public outrage or entertainment. Algorithms are biased toward posts that will garner strong reactions, and they will spread quickly as a result.

This is why one single post can have astounding consequences in such a short period of time.

Rapid Spread of Information

Information spreads quickly, even if the readers don’t take time to fact-check what they’ve just consumed.

As a result, misinformation can spread, especially if it looks convincing and it aligns with the reader’s personal beliefs. All it takes is one individual sharing something, and it’s a slippery slope that could lead to countless individuals getting fooled. Whether or not it’s a real controversy is irrelevant because the masses have engineered one for themselves.

Of course, by the time corrections or real information on the issue is brought to light, it’s too late, and the damage has been done.

Picking a Side

Tribalism is a problem on social media, particularly in today’s political climate.

Social media creates this sense of “us vs them” that is perpetuated by people with similar beliefs engaging with each other. People might feel pressured to pick a side, and if they don’t, they are complicit in the act. Ultimately, this leads to a dismissal of critical thinking and makes it easier for misinformation to spread.

In fact, some users will join in the outrage just to avoid the backlash rather than point out how some people are overreacting and risk their own reputations.

Profits > People

You knew money was going to make an appearance here.

Brands, influencers, and media outlets all benefit from the public’s outrage in some way or another. Attention is synonymous with profit, and these organizations are willing to look the other way if it means more eyes are on them. It’s like an influencer who starts drama explicitly to gain followers.

The news cycle doesn’t do themselves any favors, either, as the rush to report on breaking news stories might lead to misreporting before facts can be confirmed.

How to Avoid Falling for Faux Controversy

If you want to keep yourself from falling into this trap, here are some strategies to try:

• Slow down - Before reacting to anything online, take a moment to check the source. 
• Verify the reliability of the information - Could there be more to the story? If a post makes you feel instantly angry, there’s a good chance it was designed to do exactly that. 
• Seek out different perspectives - Surely there isn’t one side to every story.
• Ignore some stuff that doesn’t matter - Remember that just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s important—or even true.

Social media only has power over you if you grant it, so do yourself a favor and inform yourself before you spread any misinformation or fall for hoaxes.

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