The Student Leader Fellowship Program (SLFP) and the League of Women Voters of Marquette County hosted a presentation about how to identify and respond to misinformation and disinformation, primarily on the internet.
The event occurred on March 10 and was open to all students, with the purpose of educating them on how to make more informed decisions.
Disinformation can be created to gain political power or generate profits from shares on social media, and misinformation occurs when false information is shared unknowingly.
“Disinformation works because it plays on our existing biases, appeals to our emotions and provides easy answers to complex issues,” said Libby Myren, SLFP intern for the League of Women Voters.
Along with being taught how to recognize when false information is being shared, students were shown how to respond.
“It is important to check the accuracy of the information you take in, exercise skepticism and avoid amplifying disinformation by interacting with it online,” Myren said. “When responding to disinformation, don’t argue or embarrass [the person]; instead, listen, find shared values and share the truth by appealing to these values.”
The presentation highlighted how easy it can be to fall for misinformation and disinformation, especially on social media, and how it is important to be educated on the subject.
“Misinformation and disinformation are all around us, even if we do not think about it,” said student Logan Blankenship. “It’s not just spread by large news companies but also spread subliminally in our social media and conversations. It’s up to us to spot and dismantle these false claims that we hear from strangers, family and friends. These conversations are crucial for our generation’s future, and I hope the message can be spread.”
Myren agreed that the widespread use of social media enables misinformation and disinformation to be spread easily.
“I believe disinformation is important for students to learn about because social media is increasingly present in our lives, and many young people get their news from social media,” Myren said. “This makes the spread of disinformation easier, so it is important that students know how to recognize and respond to it.”
After the presentation, students and hosts had the opportunity to discuss examples of mis- and disinformation in today’s world, and how to find trustworthy news sources.
“I did not anticipate our conversation at the end of the presentation, [we as students] along with the League of Women Voters conversed about bias and the polarized state of the country,” Blankenship said. “It was interesting and relieving to have a respectful conversation on middle ground.”
On the other hand, students were not the only ones to learn from the discussion.
“What a wonderful opportunity to speak and share their views of facts, misinformation and disinformation in news sources,” said Susan Holliday, a member of the League of Women Voters.
Holliday was surprised that most students already seem skeptical about what they see on social media.
“Students often come scripted with family ideals, but it seems to me, my evaluation of most students stands to be corrected, they are more questioning of social media sources than I was at their age,” Holliday said.
Because of the topic, Myren and members of the League of Women Voters knew they had to make this event interesting for students.
“We tried to make this event appealing to students by engaging in an open discussion about information sources and engaging with different viewpoints,” Myren said.
