Teach kids about misinformation

THE CANADIAN WILDFIRES were caused by space lasers? The U.S. government is run by lizard people? The COVID vaccines contain microchips? Nope, nope and nope. That all may seem obvious, but a surprising percentage of people believe such nonsense: an Abacus survey from June of 2022, for example, found that a quarter of Canadians think that it is possibly (14 per cent) or probably true (11 per cent) that COVID vaccines include secret chips designed to monitor and control their behaviour. Put another way, 3.3 million Canadians were pretty sure there were microchips in the vaccines and another 4.2 million were open to the idea. (To be clear: no microchips.) It's easy to mock these kinds of offthe-rails beliefs, but we shouldn't. In my work as a professor and author, I've been researching public representations of science for decades-including how misinformation and pseudoscience are disseminated online and I still need to remind myself to dial back the snark. People believe, share and act on harmful misinformation for complex reasons: maybe they're under financial stress, or they're experiencing mental health challenges, or they distrust government.
But, these days, there's also the problem of volume. Humans are bombarded with about 74 gigabytes of information every day, which is roughly equivalent to watching 16 movies. We check our phones more than 100 times a day. Plus, the incentives baked into our attention economy-likes, follows and retweets-are all rigged to encourage the sharing of questionable content. This ridiculously chaotic information environment could cause any adult to fall for things they shouldn't.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Maclean's.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Maclean's.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

It's Time for Canada's Brain Gain
Trump's America is sabotaging its reputation as a beacon for researchers, scientists and academics. We should seize the moment.

NIGHT CRAWLERS
An exhibit spotlights gritty '80s street photos that capture Montreal's after-dark spirit

How Colleges and Universities Are Innovating for the Future
Canadian schools are teaching students to become creative problem-solvers through programs and initiatives that focus on technology, entrepreneurship, research and social impact

What's All the Fuss About Microcredentials?
These short courses offer much-needed skills in a growing job market

THE INTERVIEW
Want a faster, stronger, richer Canada? Daniel Debow, Build Canada mastermind, has some ideas for how to get there.

"I'm a language teacher and translator, but I can't learn French in Quebec."
I left Brazil to be with the man I love. When the province cut its French classes, I couldn't access the program I need to thrive.

Have a Staycation Summer
One of the more economically powerful ways to buy Canadian is to spend this vacation season exploring our own backyard

Shop Local
The St. Lawrence Market North building is a fresh, futuristic new home for Toronto's favourite weekend-stroll destination

A Heart-to-Heart With a Pioneer in Cardiac Surgery
Exploring the prolific work of Dr. Tirone David—a down-to-earth, solution-driven cardiac surgeon

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE
How UNB's master of engineering leadership in design innovation prepares graduates for the jobs of tomorrow