What Do YOU Do When You See Disinformation?
No matter what you chose, you’re not alone! We asked women in the Galvanize USA community the same question last month and they shared all sorts of great strategies for dealing with inaccurate information. Many said it really depends on who posted the incorrect information and what their relationship with that person is like. Others mixed and matched strategies, opting to ask for sources AND hear them out or share their thoughts. Overall, looking the issue up later was the most popular strategy: 31% of women said that is their top method of dealing with bad info online.
Interestingly, folks were almost evenly split between two broader tactics: say something by sharing your thoughts or asking for sources, or avoid conflict by looking it up quietly or just letting it go.
It’s hard to stand up against disinformation, especially when it’s coming from someone you care about or feel you can’t afford to have a conflict with. It can create an emotional burden too—many of our community members shared that seeing their friends and family post bad info makes them feel worried or sad. This fits in with what we learned when we surveyed 1,000 women nationally: 74% of women prefer to avoid political talk because they believe it will lead to conflict (GBAO 2019). So we’re excited to see that 60% of our own community is feeling a little bold when it comes to confronting disinformation online.
Our community is also growing increasingly confident in its ability to sniff out bad info in the first place. The majority of the women we spoke to said they are mostly or incredibly confident in their ability to recognize false information when they see it. This confidence is encouraging! At Galvanize USA, we see this type of confidence as an important measure of success because it suggests high levels of self-esteem and civic self-efficacy. Building women up so that they believe in their own knowledge and civic power is at the heart of our programming.
Disinformation remains rampant online, and especially on social media. We covered what we’re doing about disinformation a couple of months ago—check it out! By sharing resources like this media bias chart and creating a culture of carefully evaluating sources, Galvanize USA is helping women stand strong against the disinformation they face online.
How confident are you in your own ability to spot and handle disinformation in the wild? If you could use a refresher or a confidence boost, you can:
- Revisit the AllSides Media Bias Chart
- Get inspired by other women’s brave conversations
- Follow @galvanize_usa on Instagram or Facebook for tips for having constructive conversations
