Information - what are you letting in?
News and search-related results dominate our view of the world. We interact with each other in small groups. What we see, listen to, and watch in turn affects the views of those that make up these groups.
You may have noticed yourself speaking about COVID, then the war in Ukraine, and now perhaps one in the Middle East. Have you ever wondered how much of your opinion is based on facts and evidence, and how much is based on propoganda?
Especially in the world we live in today, with terms like deep fakes and the post-truth world thrown around?
We have all participated in this process at some point. Someone sent you a WhatsApp message that promised that Aloe Vera juice was the elixir of life. Or you may have heard the scientific-sounding gentleman on Instagram asking you to intermittent fast for fourteen hours.
Both of them, while factually incorrect, sound alluring enough for you to send them to a few family and friends. And on and on, the message travels.
Online, if you visit the financial newspapers like I occasionally do, you will find an online giant selling you something every day, except it does not appear to be a sales job; instead, it looks like a piece of news. Literally propoganda masquerading as the news.
If you are among the remaining loyal followers of X, perhaps that is where you consume your information. In a stunning report in nature, I learned that X has now stopped the analysis of information without a hefty price.
Further, it seems a few people disproportionally affect what we see and hear on the platform, including the owner himself.
None of this is new. At one point, the view of the Emperor became the view of the subjects. Only a few dared disagree about the pain of death.
Those who did curated their stream of information very carefully. They decided who to let in and who to keep out. At some point, that simply meant not meeting a person because that was the only form of interaction.
In today's world, it needs you to run a thorough process by which you filter your information. Not doing so would extract a very hefty price.
Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain
