Don't believe everything you read on the internet

There are at least 5 things wrong with this image.

Can you spot all of them all?

When it comes to spreading ideas, the internet can be a blessing and a curse.

While it allows knowledge to be exchanged across borders, to billions of people and at the speed of light, the question also arises as to whether that information can be trusted.

There are thousands of people online who take great care in only showcasing information which has evidence to back it up. For example, the army of fact-checkers who keep Wikipedia accurate, hard-working journalists or scientific journals which are no longer limited by access to university libraries or subscriptions.

This is why you will always see my link directly to my sources when I write my articles about innovation and creativity. Evidence is of the upmost importance for you to trust what I write.

But unfortunately it is just as easy for anyone to make any claim they want, without any evidence to back it up. In some cases, lies and inaccurate information actually can be more appealing for certain people because it causes an emotional reaction rather than a rational one, allowing fake information to spread as it is shared between people

And as a result, misinformation like anti-vaccine rumours can spread quickly over the internet.

Especially if it is designed in a “share-first, think later” format like the image above.

So when you come across new ideas online, ask yourself three things:

  1. Does this information have a credible source?
  2. How does that source compare to other evidence from the scientific or journalistic community?
  3. Who would benefit from sharing misinformation?

Stay safe online.

Did you know that scientific evidence shows your creativity decreases over time

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Nick Skillicorn

Chief Editor, Founder & CEO at Improvides Innovation Consulting
Creativity & Innovation expert: I help individuals and companies build their creativity and innovation capabilities, so you can develop the next breakthrough idea which customers love. Chief Editor of Ideatovalue.com and Founder / CEO of Improvides Innovation Consulting. Coach / Speaker / Author / TEDx Speaker / Voted as one of the most influential innovation bloggers.