GREENSBORO, N.C. — Do you remember playing telephone as a child? The game is simple. Players form a line. The first person in line starts a message and whispers it in the second person's ear until the message reaches the last person. The goal is to see how much the message changed throughout the game. Usually, if several people are playing the last message is nothing like the original.
This same concept of telephone is showing up more and more in the world of social media. People are constantly sharing misinformation. We've seen it during presidential elections and we continue to see the spread of misinformation about vaccines and the coronavirus.
Whenever there is a crisis like a school shooting, a tragedy that happened right here in our area, the rumors get to flying on social platforms.
Liking, commenting, and sharing posts that are not from legitimate sources can be dangerous. It can put others in harm's way or destroy progress being made to help keep people safe.
The next time you think about sharing something you see on your timeline, take a moment to reflect and verify the information. We should make it a priority to share responsibly and stop the circulation of misinformation.
That's My 2 Cents.