The problem with the rabbit hole,

Brandywine MD

Description

The problem with the rabbit hole, getting out! Psychology Today… “ People often become convinced that their rabbit hole is reality. They see a set of internally consistent information. They follow from one idea to related links. They’ve often worked hard to accumulate this information. They followed leads, read articles, and watched videos. They’re rarely exposed to other views. They are convinced they have climbed a up mountain, not slid down a rabbit hole. They believe they see better than others. They’ve concluded that others are the ones who have slid down a rabbit hole. Unfortunately, their information reflects a set of disinformation.” “The best way to save someone from a rabbit hole is to keep them from falling into it. People can become better at critically evaluating information. When encountering a new claim, try using the SIFT method developed by Mike Caulfield. SIFT = Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace. Stop or Slow down before following a new lead. There is a solution, a way for people to climb out of their rabbit hole. People must change their information environment. When someone changes the basic flow of information, their minds will follow. I was struck by one of the witnesses in the January 6th committee hearings, Stephen Ayres, who was part of the attack on the Capitol. He noted that he had followed everything about the disinformation campaign that the election was stolen. But when he returned home after January 6th, he dropped his social media accounts and changed his information environment. He backed away and checked what he believed against other sources. He realized he had believed a lie. This is the hope–that a combination of reality and better sources of information can change minds. If people continue to stick with the same rabbit hole of disinformation, they won’t be able to update their views or change their minds. They will only be able to climb out of the rabbit hole by expanding their set of information.” https://www dot psychologytoday dot com /us/blog/mental-mishaps/202207/dispatches-the-disinformation-rabbit-hole