Fake News Interferes with Facts
Political parties and religions today are fighting, and they donât even know if their evidence is true. As social media continues to rise, false and exaggerated news has filled "For You" pages everywhere. Society today relies on social media for daily news and global updates. This makes it simple for anyone and everyone to share misinformation and propaganda across all media. Influencers, journalists and politicians alike have used the spread of misinformation to bring down opponents and any positive recognition they receive. An example of this is government leaders pressuring companies to censor certain posts and interfering with social media businesses.
Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook and CEO of Meta, spoke out on being pressured by Biden Administration during the COVID epidemic in 2020. Zuckerberg was pushed to delete satire or comedy posts about the pandemic. During this, many non-related posts ended up being censored. He later came out and apologized for giving in, admitting the interference was wrong and promising to prevent further pressure.
Propaganda can also be used to divide religions, releasing false news that promotes religious discrimination and can even tear groups apart. Algorithms are made to tailor to each individual. It tracks what users click and react to. This also means that when news appears in a userâs account, it is tailored to the their likes and dislikes. With this feature, the individual's "For You" page is made up of information from their preferred viewpoints. Many people exposed to this information could be coerced into forming an opinion about news, religious ideas or political viewpoints without knowing its opposing side. For years, politicians have been painted in both good and bad lights for the same beliefs because articles shown are tailored to the viewer's beliefs. This is one of the main sources where propaganda is spread.
Propaganda, or biased information to promote an idea, has plagued man for centuries. During the birth of our country, many journalists and government officials wrote under pseudonyms, or false names, to criticize opposing parties and ensure votes.
With the internet telling people what they want to hear, many voices are drowned out. For example, if two music artists get into a public argument, your social media will most likely give you information from the perspective of the artist you listen to more. With this, either artist can be deemed wrong solely because the other artist is more popular at the time.
Many countries, groups and ideas have fallen victim to backlash from propaganda. Religions everywhere, including the Catholic faith, are common victims to misconception; from false news and media. These misconceptions can lead to confusion.
Though it seems all hope is gone for our young teens, we can still fight against false narratives. The best way to find the truth about your religion is to talk to Jesus through prayer. Spending time with God and reading Church teachings will reveal the true faith.
While we should try to fight against misinformation, we should always listen to the other perspective to better understand the topic. On the other hand, you should never believe the first thing that pops up on your "for you" page. Whether it is regarding politics, events, or ideas, you should always stay skeptical about what is on social media. Some of the news we consume today is either exaggerated or entirely made up.