Digital Information: Do you believe everything you read online?

Everything we can think of is already available on the Internet. Data updates are almost momentary. All it takes is a fraction of a second and the news goes viral!

But is everything we read the real facts? Can we believe everything that is published? How do we filter this information?

Let's start with the veracity of the information.

The Internet is the biggest search engine. Everything we need, aren't sure about or don't know about is just a few clicks away on our computer or mobile phone.

When we search for what we want to know, the search engine gives us hundreds of results, from hundreds of different sources of information. My tip is: always look for a reliable website that has a history in the market and guarantees that the content it publishes is genuine.

Why can't we believe everything?

Nowadays, we have many ways of communicating with each other, and a large part of them involve using the Internet. It is online that we access emails, social networks, videos, video calls, among many other resources that are at our fingertips.

The information reaches us in a professional guise and often in journalistic language, like a news story. However, we can analyse that it usually arrives without a truthful source or even without any foundation.

Most of the news or information that reaches us online doesn't have a specific source or origin. So be aware of these points and get used to filtering what you read on a daily basis.

Another important point is not just about fake news, but also about the information we use to add to our personal and professional knowledge, which we use for college research, work meetings and so on. Often, one piece of misinformation can jeopardise an entire academic or professional structure. That's why you should always check the references of the articles you find online before using them.

It's important to be aware of the veracity of news and information, because the Internet is an environment in which anyone with digital skills can insert information and publish it as true.

Be aware of the information and news you receive or research on a daily basis before absorbing that knowledge and be aware of the risk of sharing false information.

Use the Internet healthily and safely!