Critical Thinking Tutorial: The Big Picture

Before you begin, reflect on these information-sharing situations.

How often have you

• Come across captivating social media content and shared it without fact-checking?
• Inadvertently spread misinformation by forwarding or reposting content without first verifying its source?
• Eagerly shared information online with unintended consequences, like amplifying a false narrative or undermining trust?

Sharing information without checking its accuracy can have several unintended consequences. Here are a few.

If you were to rank these from most severe to least severe, which would you say is the most harmful?

1. Misleading Others
2. Damage to Reputations
3. Amplifying Misinformation
4. Undermining Trust
5. Confusion and Division
6. Wasted Resources
7. Impact on Decision-Making

While ranking is subjective and will vary based on individual perspectives, it's important to be aware that none of these consequences, even if unintended, have positive outcomes.

This video provides a brief explanation of how misinformation is spread on social media and emphasizes why thinking critically about the information we share is so crucial in combating its dissemination.

Source: Endless Curiosity: The Science of Fake News by Indiana University on YouTube