There’s good reason why an online therapist is in such high demand these days. We find ourselves in a world of chaos. It’s been one major global crisis after another the last few years, from the pandemic to full-blown wars.
We’re dealing with constant uncertainties. Economies are destabilized. Staying up to date with global politics is like being stuck on a never-ending rollercoaster ride. And the effects of climate change have become very tangible with the increase of natural disasters and weather patterns we no longer recognize.
Add a sprinkle of ulterior motives and agendas into the mix, and you’ve got a first-class ticket to a global mental health disaster. As if dealing with the reality of the world wasn’t enough, you now also have to discern what’s actually real or not! So, how do we navigate a world full of uncertainties, half-truths, and outright lies?
The Difference Between Misinformation and Fake News as Explained by an Online Therapist
Misinformation and fake news are not the same thing:
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation is rarely malicious. It’s either when you only have a tiny piece of the entire puzzle and then truly believe that’s what the bigger picture looks like. Or it’s false information that gets spread around by people with the best intentions and who truly believe it.
Examples of Misinformation
False Information Being Spread with Good Intentions
The message your grandma forwards you stating that you must post a status on Facebook with the word ‘privacy’ before 23:00 tonight, or Facebook will be able to share your photos with whomever it wants.
A Sliver of the Truth Influencing Your Perception of the Bigger Picture
You find out that over 12,000 US soldiers died in the Battle of Okinawa. This is a horrendous number; therefore, whoever killed them is the “bad guys” in the story, right? But your perception and truth can be shaped by viewing the Battle of Okinawa from various angles. What would your perception be if you only knew that more than 100,000 Japanese soldiers died? Or what if the only fact you had was that 150,000 civilians died in the Battle of Okinawa?
What is Fake News?
Fake news (also known as disinformation) is done on purpose with the intent to mislead for various reasons. There’s also a fine line between fake news and a hoax. A hoax is usually similar to what you’d think of as a prank or an April Fool’s joke. Even though some can be really silly and last for many years (cue various Bigfoot videos that have since been debunked), they don’t hurt anyone and are rarely done with malicious intent.
Examples of Fake News/Disinformation
- A “breaking news” article stating that a celebrity has died when they’re alive and well.
- A video of a giant whale swallowing a fisherman who was standing on his boat fishing.
Why Does Fake News Exist?
As mentioned, there are many reasons why fake news exists today. These include the following:
Social Media Clout
Attention and fame can be addictions that are just as powerful as a drug addiction. It rewires the brain and triggers dopamine-driven reward pathways. And in modern-day, where everyone and their dog can become famous on social media, it’s a very serious problem.
Every like, comment, new subscriber, or share is like taking a hit from your social media crackpipe. But in a world saturated by wannabe influencers, the pressure is on to deliver the most and the best content possible. That’s why you’ll often find people resorting to fake news to get their Dopamine kicks.
It can be the lady from TikTok, supposedly lying in a hospital dying of cancer with headphones stuck up her nose. Or the person who has supposedly taken footage of a mermaid kidnapping a baby on the beach.
Social Media Greed
Dopamine hits aren’t the only rewards one can get via social media. You can actually get paid for your contributions. However, this payday relies on a certain number of subscribers, number of views, engagement rates, etc. And these are also tiered. So as soon as you reach one target and its monetary perks, there’s always another one to aim for.
If money is involved when it comes to grabbing the attention of others on social media platforms, the lengths some will go to become pretty extreme. A good example is Breland Emery, a YouTuber who admitted to faking a mental breakdown to get more views.
Unethical Media Practices
There used to be a time when journalists were hailed as the courageous truthseekers within our communities. However, this has also changed. Ethics quickly head out the back door when the money comes rolling in at the front door. Between PR and what is known as “sponsored ads,” there are many ways in which one can pay the media to share your products, services, ideas, and opinions.
And if the newspaper, magazine, blog site, etc. is considered mainstream (most popular with the biggest number of readers and the largest geographical outreach), it doesn’t stop the outlet from selling media packages; it merely charges more for them. So, for the right price, you can have pretty much anything you want published as “the truth.”
Knocks and Scams
Fake news is also often used as a knock and scam tactic. And these often lead to some of the most heartbreaking sessions one can have as an online therapist. Fake news used for knocks and scams can take on many different forms.
It can be the NGO with registration number 123456 asking for donations for the 1,000,000 orphaned baby gorillas in the rainforest. Or the social media post that’s desperately trying to give away the unclaimed prize trip to Disney World, and all you have to do is enter your personal information.
To Benefit Larger Agendas
We won’t go into all sorts of conspiracy theories floating about. A proven fact, however, is that governing bodies and cooperations with a lot of money often influence our realities. Just take a look at what Purdue Pharma managed to do with OxyContin and its role in what is now considered an opioid crisis in the US.
Or what about the realities and perceptions that were created during the 2016 elections with very strategic advertising and social media campaigns, as exposed in The Great Hack? With enough power and money, it’s very possible to shape people’s view of the world.
How to Safeguard Yourself Against Misinformation and Fake News: Practical Tips and Advice from an Online Therapist
Don’t worry, the news isn’t all bad; there are ways to safeguard yourself against misinformation and fake news:
Do Your Own Research
If a social media post or “breaking news” article is telling you that the Eiffel Tower has just been bombed, a simple Google search will tell you whether it’s real or not. Even double-check what could be perceived as possible confirmation.
Your search may deliver one or two similar “breaking news” results. But if it’s from sites such as KnowEverythingAllDay.com and not reputable names such as CNN or BBC, it’s fair to assume that it’s not true.
Check the Validity of the News
If you’re still feeling unsure, there are a few other ways to verify information these days. You can check if it’s not already been debunked by Reuters. You can use a platform like NewsGuard. Or you can install fact-checker apps like Verifi (Apple) and Snopes (Android).
Reverse Image Search
If someone is asking you to share a post of a missing person, you’re getting shocking images of war, or you found your dream rental costing next to nothing, use Google Reverse Image Search to check its credibility.
For most, the easiest will be to click right on the image (if you’re on a computer), or click on the image and then the three dots in the upper right-hand side of your screen (if you’re on mobile), and download the image.
Go to Google Images. Click on what looks like a little camera in the search bar, and then either upload (if you’re on a computer) or select the image from your gallery (if you’re on a mobile) and click search. It will then scour the internet for this image.
If it brings up the image of a missing child of 10 years ago, the story of the attempted mall kidnapping in your neighborhood couldn’t possibly be true. Or it might bring up shocking war images of the war in Afghanistan, trying to pose as a current image of war in countries like Russia or Ukraine. And that dream rental? Photos from an Airbnb or property that’s recently been sold.
Look Out for AI-Generated Content
If you think the content might have been written by AI, copy and paste the writing into an online tool like GPTZero. It will immediately tell you if it’s AI-generated content.
If you’re struggling with an image, and there are no clear signs like seven fingers on one hand, you can use AI image checkers like ZeroGPT to check if an image is AI-generated. See a suspicious video online? Haven’t noticed any strange glitches, pixelations, or weird intonations in voices? Then ScreenApp will help you out.
Watch Out for Hazardous Files
Your friend just sent you a message to enter a competition where you can win fuel for a year. Sounds great, but you first have to click on the link to enter. Don’t! Check what the link says first (don’t click on it, just hover over it!). If the link ends in any of the following, delete the message immediately, warn your friend, and anyone else she’s forwarded the message to:
- .exe
- .dll
- .jar
- .html
- .scr
- .cpl
- .vbs
- .vbe
- .bat
Also, double-check buttons. If you need to click on anything that says Enter Now, hover over the button to see where it will take you. Sometimes it will appear near the area you’re hovering over. But on computers, it often displays in the bottom left-hand corner. Alternatively, RIGHT-click on it once for the link to display. You can practice here (the link is fake, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally clicking on it): Enter Now!
And remember that you can camouflage links. Test these out by hovering over them and see if you can spot the problem:
- Congratulations on winning the Euro Lotto! Please urgently contact Maria Johnson for your winnings.
- See if you’re a winner: eurolotto.com
Be Careful of Eco-Chambers
Digital algorithms (whether your internet browser or social media platforms) are wired to cater to your needs and requirements. That’s why you’ll suddenly find a million travel ads, posts, blogs, etc., after searching for accommodation somewhere. While some of this customization can be helpful (or just annoying), others can be dangerous and harmful.
For example, if you (innocently) Googled war in the Middle East right now, you’ll get millions of hits (including both true and false information). If you then do a few more follow-up searches regarding the war, you’ll soon have your entire Google and social media feeds flooded with all things war in the Middle East.
Now, depending on which follow-up questions you were to ask, the algorithm can lead you down a rabbit hole till you believe in a reality that might not be entirely real. And even the most neutral of people can suddenly become biased.
For example, take the scenarios below regarding the EXACT same situation. Be honest with yourself: where would you land if the algorithm rabbit holes took you down a specific angle route? How might your perceptions and opinions be influenced by these echo chambers?
Echo Chamber 1
- Google Feed: Breaking News via Fox, the US has bombed Iran, demolishing their air force.
- Twitter Feed: President Trump claims that Iran has already been beaten. Their military infrastructure has been demolished, and most leaders have been killed.
- YouTube Feed: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been warning the world for over 30 years about Iran’s nuclear threat.
- Facebook Feed: A family shares a touching tribute to a fallen US soldier, beloved husband, and father. In the short clip, a little four-year-old boy is trying to be brave but can’t stop crying as he salutes his father’s coffin, and his 2-year old sister throws a rose in as the coffin begins to lower.
Echo Chamber 2
- Google Feed: Breaking News via Al Jazeera, the US has bombed Iran, but merely hit fake planes drawn on landing strips.
- Twitter Feed: Turkey says NATO is sending another Patriot missile defence unit after missile interceptions.
- YouTube Feed: Interview with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confidently stating that they are “waiting” for a US ground invasion since it would “be a big disaster for them”.
- Facebook Feed: Iranian father shares video from his hospital bed about how he tried to save his three-year-old girl after the US bombed their home.
Want to do a fun experiment that won’t really affect your life in any shape or form, to see the impact of these algorithms and how quickly you can end up in an echo chamber? Spend two days searching for things about Bigfoot.
Start with “Proof that Bigfoot exists” and then just continue doing follow-up searches for the next 2 days. Evaluate your feeds after the two days and compare them to what they looked like before you started your Bigfoot search.
Always Ask Why & Who Gains from It?
Once again, we don’t want anyone in a complete state of paranoia or going down the conspiracy theory road. However, these are important questions to ask when dealing with things in your daily life and online.
Let’s take the unclaimed Disney holiday, for example. Why wouldn’t someone claim a free, all-inclusive 2-week trip for a family of 4? You can justify it all you like, but if competitions usually require various contact details such as email, mobile number, house number, etc., why would the winner be unreachable?
Why is the Influencer recommending certain brands or products? Why would someone who’s making six figures of passive income every month, be selling courses, and spending their time training others to make money? What happens if you click that laugh emoji after watching a “real” video of six Marshall Eagles flying a Polar Bear from one sheet of ice to the next?
The Motto of an Online Therapist: No Need to Scare; Just Be Aware
You can rest assured that an online therapist has seen and heard it all: there’s absolutely no judgment here. In fact, if something you’ve seen or heard is bothering you and having an impact on your mental well-being, it’s always better to talk about it.
That pile of dead children you’re having nightmares about might literally be nothing to worry about. And the “imminent threat of Russia hacking all the banks,” as reported by RealWorldNews.com, shouldn’t be added on top of existing daily concerns, such as paying off credit card debt, or where our children should go for the best possible schooling.
Now that you know what to look out for and also how to combat some of the misinformation and fake news out there, dealing with everything inundating us on a daily basis also becomes easier. And the shift goes from being scared to being aware when it comes to the news and information you’re consuming.
If you would like more information, have questions, or are struggling with your mental well-being in the midst of all that’s going on in the world, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can send us an email at info@personalonlinetherapy.com or simply complete the form below, and we’ll get back to you:
