Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated images, political messaging and profit-seeking companies: How do you even begin to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake?
Like most people, I scroll on social media daily. I’ve noticed it’s become common to see a post that looks like real news until you dig a little deeper and realize it’s fake. I also see commenters falling for bots, scams and AI generated content.
Seeing people repeatedly fall for obvious bait and fake messages has started to concern me. Some people are being left behind by the rapid evolution of our media landscape, and if we don’t act soon, it could deepen polarization in politics, build echo chambers and even breed hate.
So what’s the best tool we have to navigate this changing landscape? The answer is media literacy.
Media literacy is the use of critical thinking to analyze, evaluate and consume media in ways that allow you to recognize bias, misinformation and judge credibility. Essentially, media literacy is the process of asking questions when you see something online.
Navigating AI on social media
Generative AI has advanced so quickly that in just a few years AI photos and videos have become indistinguishable from reality. What looks like a regular funny cat video, a chaotic bodycam clip or even a candid celebrity shot could easily have been generated by AI.
The line between real and artificial is getting harder to spot, and that means the burden falls increasingly on us to question what we’re seeing.
Unfortunately, many of the past’s telltale signs of AI-generated content have quickly become obsolete. AI has gotten much better at generating fingers, text, lighting and shadows.
It’s more important now than ever to pause and remember that if something seems “too good to be true,” it probably is. If a post claims to show footage of a real event, but you suspect it might be AI, take a moment to look up the event and do independent research from reputable sources before jumping to conclusions. A simple search can be the difference between staying informed and being misled.
Fact-checking
AI content isn’t the only thing to look out for. Any political messages, news headlines and stories can be just as misleading if they aren’t fact-checked first.
I’m not saying you need to research every single thing you see, but you should take a moment to think about where the information is coming from, whether the source has something to gain and whether any other credible outlets are reporting the same thing.
The reputable outlets you check might look different depending on the topic, but starting with well-known, reliable sources like the Associated Press is a good baseline.
From there, you can compare and contrast with other news organizations to identify bias or spot information that might be misrepresented.
Take sports, for example. Rumors and fake transfer reports are always circulating online. The easiest way to avoid being misled is to check whether reputable sports news sources, such as ESPN or other trusted outlets, are also reporting the story.
You don’t need to be a professional journalist to practice media literacy. All you have to do is ask questions, stay curious and recognize when something you’re seeing feels a little fishy.
The media landscape is changing fast, and it’s up to us to change with it.
Evan Guerra is the Multimedia Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at guerra28@up.edu.
Have something to say about this? We’re dedicated to publishing a wide variety of viewpoints, and we’d like to hear from you. Voice your opinion in The Beacon.
