I feel like if you ask pretty much anyone, they will agree with the statement “Just because it’s on FB doesn’t mean it’s true.” However, every day I see people sharing posts that are inaccurate at best and create greater divides between all of us.
As species with free will, we are all free to have our own opinions. Those opinions are ours and each of us has every right to have ours. On the other hand, I’ve heard the saying “Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and none of them are worth much.” (Is this a Southern thing?)
If you are sharing highly inflammatory mis-information on social media, you are part of the problem!
The following is an example of something I’ve seen this week. The blue image has been shared on Facebook. I’ve compared it to the CDC Considerations for Schools and outlined how each bullet was modified to create a negative connotation in the statement. This image was also created to appear as hard and fast rules that schools were going to have to adhere to. Not one place in the graphic includes the repeated “when possible” and/or “if feasible.”
Here are some issues with this image.
People aren’t reading the image and are responding as if these were REQUIREMENTS.
There are misspelled words in the image! If the CDC was going to share information, they would spellcheck their communications.
All the bias used in the image to create fear and misinformation.
A English Lesson
Considerations VS Guidelines VS Requirements
consideration – (n.) careful thought, typically over a period of time.
guideline – (n.) a general rule, principle, or piece of advice.
requirement – (n.) a thing that is compulsory; a necessary condition.
In such a heated time in our history, practice pausing before you share things like this and ask yourself a few questions:
Did this post make me angry or scared?
If the answer to that question is yes, maybe before you share those emotions you should dig deeper. Trust, but verify.