Used to share every article I found interesting without checking the source first

I mean back in 2019 I'd just see a headline about some cybersecurity scandal and hit share on Facebook without even reading past the first paragraph. Then my cousin Mark who works at a tech company in Austin called me out after I shared something that turned out to be totally fake. Now I spend like 5 minutes checking the URL and looking for other outlets reporting the same thing before I pass it along. Has anyone else had to change their sharing habits after getting called out?

2 comments

2 Comments

lopez.brooke20d ago

Got called out by my cousin too, except it was my sister-in-law who works at a local news station. She texted me a screenshot of some article I shared about a politician that was completely made up. Felt so embarrassed I almost deleted my whole Facebook account. Now I do the same thing you do - check the URL, see if it's a .com or .org I've heard of, look for other sources reporting the same story. It's crazy how fast I used to just hit share without thinking. Honestly a little public shame was good for me because now I also read past the headline before I post anything.

charles_chen9320d ago

So do you think getting called out publicly was actually the thing that changed your habits, or would you have figured it out on your own eventually? It took me getting put on blast by someone who actually knew what they were talking about before I realized how careless I was being. Sometimes I wonder if more people would fact-check if they knew how easy it is to get exposed for sharing garbage.