Your friends trust you
Yes, even the ones posting nonsense on your Facebook wall.
With that trust comes both power and responsibility.
People are listening to you, even if you dont realize it.
No matter how thoughtful your response, theyll just dig in harder.
After all, the hallmark of a conspiracy theory is thatit persists no matter the evidence.
But when you have a conversation about misinformation, your audience isnt just the person youre speaking to.
For this reason, I prefer to keep conversations about misinformation public.
If theyre mad and just want to fight, its not worth your time.
To use a different example, anti-vaccine posts may outnumber posts that sing the praises of vaccines.
Thats because most people get their kids vaccinated and dont make a big deal about it.
They dont post about it any more than theyd post Hey look, I brushed my teeth today.
So if you see a lot of misinformation out there, dont get too discouraged.
Begin by asking questions
Some misinformation can be addressed on a factual basis.
When its a simple claim like this, facts work.
What concerns do you have about this whole situation?
You wont necessarily ask them in those exact words, but ask.
And dont be afraid to share your own history and concerns.
If they learn how you came to your conclusions, it may help them change their own.
Push back without insulting them
You keep the most credibility when youre respectful and honest.
Good propaganda artists speak softly and let everyoneelseget angry and frustrated.
But theres another reason to stay calm: Remember, these people are your friends.
(And friends-of-friends, and whoever else is watching.)
People mostly just want to be understood and have their concerns heard.
So be nice to your friends.
Most of the people youre talking to are probably smart and basically good people.
If you dont know an answer, say so rather than making something up.
If you changed your mind about something in the past, talk about why that was.
Its all thoseothersources that are therealpropaganda.
Its true that a little critical thinking goes a long way.
Maybe the article is five years old.
Maybe the study thats being cited is about something else entirely.
Consider a drive-by
You dont have to spend hours of your life on trying to convince people.
Heres what you do:
Leave that quick comment.
tap the menu at the top of the post, and unfollow the conversation.
(Facebook and Twitter both have an option for this; other platforms may vary.)
This way, you wont get notifications that pull you back into the conversation.
(Do your best not to go back and check for replies, either.
Your job here is done.)
That quick comment probably wont change anybodys mind, but it could change the tone of the resulting conversation.
And who knowsit might get somebody to do a little critical thinking on their own.
