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So some media makes it super easy to share information in the event of an emergency.
Unfortunately, it also makes it really easy to share fake information.
so I'm here to help with some tips.
Nobody likes being wrong, and you'll feel dumb for sharing something fake.
Unless it's from the Onion, because they're brilliant and sometimes we all need a good laugh.
Number one, check the source.
See an article with an absolutely crazy headline like 'Tim Cook Eats iPhone X at Event' and aren't sure if it's real, look at the url.
Sometimes spoof websites can look a lot like reputable news organizations.
Double check the spelling of the site and the domain.
You shouldn't trust tech news from cnet.unicorns.co just like you shouldn't trust strange URLs claiming to have exclusive stories or breaking news.
If it looks legit, Google the keywords and click on the News tab to see if other official news outlets are running the same Story.
If you see more than one major site reporting it, you're probably good to share.
Number 2, check the image.
If you're on Twitter, the new moves fast.
It moves so fast, you might not feel like you have time to double-check that retweet.
You're just trying to help boost the signal.
I know, I know, we all want to help.
But some massive jerks out there do this thing where they steal a picture on the Internet and pretend it's a friend or family member lost in chaos.
That's where Google's reverse image search comes in handy.
On a laptop, you can drag and drop a picture into Google Images to see where else it pops up.
Is the photo on a ton of other websites?
Has it been online for years?
Is it a meme that you missed?
Fake, fake, fake, and honestly, really hurtful to the people who actually do have missing loved ones that need to be found.
Number Three, check your biases.
Let's go back to that crazy Tim Cook story I totally made up.
If you love Android and hate Apple, you might be more than willing to believe that story if it popped up in your news feeds.
Same for Apple fans if I swapped out Tim Cook for Sergey Brin.
So what do you do?
You head behind enemy lines and pop that bubble.
Don't be afraid to go to websites you don't normally visit in order to double check a story.
It kind of ties into checking your sources, but if all of your sources have the same point of view it's really only one source.
You know what I'm saying?
Number four, check your gut, if you take all of these steps and something still doesn't feel quite right, it's okay not to post right this second.
Wait, watch, listen, you'll have more chances to share verified information, I promise.
Number five, breath.
This one is the hardest because when you're drowning in prose, you can really get carried away with sharing every single thing you see and repeating things you've read.
Take a deep breath.
Count to 60.
Go to the previous tips.
Then decide if it's accurate and helpful if you share.
So there you go.
Five easy ways to do your part to kick fake news from spreading online.
And if you do all of these things somehow still end up being wrong, that's okay, just pull the post or update it with accurate information and a link.
Don't litter online just like you wouldn't litter in real life.
Take out the trash.
We all wanna help especially when we feel helpless and social media is one of the easiest ways to do that.
But remember that spreading false information does the exact opposite of helping It [INAUDIBLE] and diverts attention from the people in stories that need it, you can do this,we're counting you, until next time be good humans.
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