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As the silly season of the year’s final quarter draws to a close, we are not only faced with increased deadlines and impromptu projects, but also the expected swelling of social and familial obligations that gnaw away at our personal time.
So far this year, one troubling aspect that has been on the rise has been the spread of untrue news. Granted, this has always been a problem in the past due to echo chambers, and recently due to malpractice and the malicious on the internet, but this year, there has been an air of confidence behind it.
Out of curiosity, last night I looked at the platforms where these manufactured pieces of content were published on, and to my eye, they looked obviously malevolent. I then, again out of curiosity, opened the Threads application by Meta, for it is known to have somehow escaped the news publication guidelines here in Canada, and it was a torrid landscape filled with one-sided political-leaning news headlines, and yes, ones that were obviously fake.
What made them obvious was that I, and at least two others, frequently read vetted and established newspapers and journals. Those who did not were oblivious as to what was real and what was not.
The topography of all media has shifted into the beginning of an era where, due to how real everything looks, the only answer to not falling for falsified news or even scams is to be well-versed in current events. Generative tools are allowing bad actors to produce amounts of falsified content that overwhelm both platforms and their users by preying on the platforms’ model of pushing content that captures the most impressions. When the metric used for what is presented is not of quality, but of what plays, then we are in trouble.
At one of these gatherings, one of the attendees, a university professor, took me aside and showed me a Facebook post about claims on research on how to save energy in one’s household. The post was filled with graphs and charts, which all looked like sine waves at different points of displacement, and it ended with a terrifyingly long link to a product. Even when I pointed all of these out to her, they was still unsure whether it was genuine.
Every single person who had come to me with one or more of these falsified pieces of content either had a graduate degree or had worked hard in their careers to be in the position of those who usually have one.
There is a lot of anxiety shared online about seeing coworkers outside of the working environment due to the holidays, and even more for seeing family. While most of this anxiety comes from others trying to convince us of their point of view and then getting upset when we do not budge, there is always the fright related to being dragged into their field of nonsense.
Just like the flu or any other illness, the best way to stave off an infection that would do noticeable harm is to inoculate yourself. Make the time this season to read the news, both global and local. Doing so will give you a foundation for sensing when something doesn’t align with reality. The other effect is that by being exposed to the issues concerning the world, you will also get exposed to varying mindsets and come to understand how and why the person in front of you is adamant in their beliefs.
It sucks when the answer to anything is to do your homework, but being informed is not a task; it is a duty. I had written about curating your experiences online and how certain news services, such as Apple News+, are quite affordable. So this holiday season, give yourself the gift of being informed and walk into such gatherings with confidence and an elevated sense of empathy for those around you.
Time of writing: December 3rd, 2025