Comments on: Controlling the Internet & Not Letting it Control You

By: Missalot

Missalot — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 04:44:43 +0000

Verified is a really solid book. I always thought of myself as a good internet user, able to sort through the good versus the bad, right? But I realized the same thing that you did. I’m a passive internet user! It’s honestly a little exhausting to always be on the lookout for misinformation, and it does lead to a trust compression. You catch it once, twice, three times, and it becomes a question of cynicism or skepticism. In one of my other classes we talked about cynical media literacy or skeptical media literacy. The cynics treat what they read with cautious eye, whereas skeptics tend to disbelieve everything they read. With Verified, I noticed that I had been steadily becoming more of a skeptic than anything else, and that basic research can be overall quite helpful in ending that skepticism.

By: e.g.lane

e.g.lane — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:56:33 +0000

I really enjoyed these chapters. I like that you said it is important to not get trapped in an article. I feel like that happens all the time. We get sucked into the vortex of analyzing the article, the About page, the style, the argument, the authors, etc. and never think to go elsewhere! Its a ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’ moment for sure. Before, I would always look up the author on a different webpage, but I rarely looked up the website or organization itself. I wonder if anyone else does that as well. I feel as if people feel lost in the mass of information that is out there, and that is why they rely so much on their own judgement instead of feeling overwhelmed or a lack of control by jumping into the wide web. But we shouldn’t feel that way! We can have control over our internet experiences. Great post!

By: Ktyria

Ktyria — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 18:21:59 +0000

I completely agree—it’s wild how much we’ve been passive internet users without even realizing it. I love your spider’s web analogy! It really captures how interconnected everything is online. Like, every article is just one strand, but it’s connected to the author’s reputation, the organization’s goals, the sources they cite, etc. The more you explore those connections, the clearer the full picture becomes. It’s kind of empowering, honestly. We’re not just passive consumers anymore; we’re taking control and holding these sources accountable.