We Need to Put an End to Misinformation & Toxic Social Media

The same misinformation and toxic posts we've seen over the last year are trying to make their way onto LinkedIn, the professional social network. I've seen several posts recently of users commenting misinformation, unprofessional, or downright toxic opinions.

This article is not directed at any particular individual or organization to which I am connected on LinkedIn, nor is it directed at my employer or team members. This article is also not telling anyone that their opinions are wrong, that free speech should be constrained, nor to write about my own political views.

This LinkedIn article is merely my opinion on how we can stop misinformation, stop toxic comments, and identify what is truth while facilitating civil discourse.

People will stop trusting you if you spread falsehoods

We live in two worlds: reality and digital. These two worlds mingle with one another daily. Oftentimes, we feel overwhelmed by the noise from each world.

We are bombarded with messages from both worlds telling us to "buy now because you need this product", "you cannot trust any expert except me", "you're worthless because your opinions are garbage", or "the world is ending because ___".

You have the ability to curate the content you consume, and curate you must. This is not "an attack on free speech". All Americans have the right to free speech, but what you should understand is that all speech has consequences — positive or negative.

We witnessed on January 6, 2021, the worst day of our American democracy. Fringe ideologies radicalized conspiracy theorists to storm the United States Capitol building in hopes to hurt or kill members and staff of the highest levels of our government. (And yes, I realize there were quite a few who didn't break in, steal things, or commit violence.)

Conspiracy theories, like QAnon and widespread election fraudulence, enabled American citizens to commit these dangerous acts of treason. If you do not know what QAnon is, I envy you. It is a dangerous conspiracy that thousands of Americans now believe is the truth.

DISCLAIMER: If you research this conspiracy, just know that it is NSFW. Violence should never be accepted as a means of getting what you want or because you didn't get your way.

This article from Smithsonian Magazine, "How Fake News Breaks Your Brain", has an important sentence to remember when consuming the mountain of content that spams us daily.

When people are overloaded with new information, they tend to rely on less-than-ideal coping mechanisms to distinguish good from bad, and end up privileging popularity over quality, the study suggests. 

Our brains cannot process so much content, leading us to consume information aligning with our biases. I argue that we can share our views with the world, share factual information (even when it aligns with our beliefs and opinions), keep an open mind, and remove toxic misinformation from our content sources.

We can all do our part to stop the spread of misinformation, and here are a few easy steps you can take today.

1. Research the story you are reading, the photoshopped memes you are viewing, and the videos you are watching. Research these posts by using reliable authoritative sources and fact-checking organizations. Don't immediately comment on the post with your gut reaction until you've done your research.
2. Don't share a post that contains falsehoods, misinformation, or hatred.
3. When sharing a post, include a link to a reliable authoritative source.
4. Curate the content you see. You can (and should) stop liking and following persons or pages that spread misinformation and/or toxic posts. It is good for your mental health and well-being to remove negativity from your life.
5. Don't reply back to that person with hateful comments or make them feel inferior because of their views and opinions.
6. Take a hiatus from social media every now and then. (I know I need to.)

Your Comments are Toxic and Do Not Help. Stop it.

I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed this morning and found a post from a sports media company that I follow. Their post was about NFL referee Sarah Thomas. Sarah is going to become the first female referee to officiate the Super Bowl. ?? ??

Some guy (whom I'm not connected with on LinkedIn) asked if a female NFL referee is qualified to officiate this year's Super Bowl. His words were crasser than my simple depiction.

Sarah Thomas has 22 years of football experience as a referee for high school, collegiate, and now at the professional football level.

Clearly, she's got what it takes to officiate the #BigGame.

Toxic comments and misinformation do not help you, your organization, your family, your friends, your coworkers, and everyone else in your network. Conspiracies can dominate the minds of individuals at all levels of employment.

It's sad when an entry-level employee shares their fringe views, but it's worse when it is a leader of your own company. I'd like for employees, business leaders, and recruiters to ask themselves these questions.

Ask Yourself:

• How can coworkers trust your statements or work ethic if you share things that are devoid of reality or toxic?
• How can your employees trust you as the leader of the organization when it comes to business decisions when you are the one spreading falsehoods?
• Recruiters: Are you vetting candidates beyond their resume or work examples?

I'll admit, it's whimsical thinking about conspiracy theories when they are not harmful. I think Sasquatch might be real, but that doesn't mean I'm going to spend thousands of dollars and years going into the Canadian wilderness looking for him.

We like to take comfort in the things that provide us affirmation, enjoyment, or resolve. This is especially true in our constantly changing world.

But there is hope. Please follow the steps I've recommended above to help yourself, your family, your friends, your organization be better about the information we share.