We’re continuing our talk about Caulfield and Wineburg’s book, Verified. Specifically, the concept of easy access and the line between gullibility and cynicism.
It’s not that simple…
As the internet changes, we are going to have to change with it if we don’t want to be misguided or duped. Verified outlines how to start making that change in chapters one through three, but they really dig in on chapters four and five. There, we learn about lateral reading and reading the room, so to speak. Lateral reading is when you use other articles and sources to learn/read about a text that you are concerned with before ever even opening said text. You can learn more about the credibility of that text by seeing what others say about it than by analyzing it yourself. Reading the room is very similar, if not the same. It means seeing what others are saying about a topic or claim made by a person, article, or organization. When doing research, it’s not just you and the source. Everything is connected, and so Caulfield and Wineburg are saying, ‘start pulling at the strands.’
When I was a kid–browsing the internet on a computer that was physically bigger than me–I thought it was so cool that I had easy access to information. And while that was and is still true today, it is not wholly true. There is no one-search-and-you’re-done internet. Research needs to be researched and facts need to be vetted. Unless, of course, you need to know how to peel an orange, find a picture of a squirrel, or learn how to tap dance in five easy steps. Sure, you may get duped here, but not so much as if you want to know the reason for recidivism rates in the US.
Between gullibility and cynicism
“When we believe no source is more trustworthy than any other, how do we decide who’s right?” 1
Gullibility and cynicism, while having many other different outcomes, result in one in the same thing from two different sides: Everything/nothing is trustworthy, so everything is on common ground. Being cynical is often seen as being better than being gullible, but really, it harms just as much. At the end of the day, “cynicism doesn’t make you any smarter than gullibility” (Caulfield and Wineburg, p.119). Neither characteristics are going to get you what you want; the truth. To be internet smart, we need (myself included) to have a healthy amount of skepticism so that we can have that ‘easy access.’
Want to read the book? Here’s the details:
1 Caulfield, M., & Wineburg, S. (2023). Verified. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS.
Comments
2 responses to “Who Said it Would Be Easy?”
I like that you pointed out that sometimes in depth research is not always required. Especially with simple searches, like the orange peeling. I got so caught up in the weeds of Verified, since the guide uses such extreme examples most of the time. It’s like, ‘this whole health organization is actually extremely bigoted but you wouldn’t know that if you didn’t SIFT.’ It gets repetitive and only heightens my skepticism for everything. Skepticism, which like you said, is required when absorbing information on the internet, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t trust reliable sources.
In comparison to the things I talked about with these chapters and from what I’ve seen others mention, I like that you focused on gullibility and cynicism as opposed to consulting with experts about topics you don’t know much about. This isn’t the first time gullibility gets addressed in the book, so you highlighting it was a great reminder about it. The quotes you pull from the book are also really helpful in getting your point across and using yourself as an example of someone who needs to do better when it comes to believing things on the internet is a great motivation to try harder and apply the skills they’re teaching in this book.