Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #detectingdeception
Most recents (17)
This is a good time to remind you: cyberattacks are actual attacks. If you are a social media user, you have likely been involved. This is true whether you are a "Let's Go Biden" type or a "Let's Go Brandon Type." #DetectingDeception
2/ You probably believe that those who believe differently than you are more vulnerable to disinformation, and you are probably wrong.
3/ Consider this: ongoing propaganda campaigns have led to entire media outlets that base their entire business model on outrage. Truthiness replaces news judgement..."if I feel strongly about it, it is likely true" is a poor, but common way to thinking.
Time for a little fun with math. I often see 99 percent survival rate as a snappy comeback for people talking about vaccines and mask mandates. And I think we can all agree that it's important to consider risks and benefits when deciding things. What does 99 percent mean?
2/ If it's a death rate, that means for every 100 people infected, 99 lives and 1 dies. To be fair, 99 is a much bigger number than 100. Here is one *
Here are 99
***************************************************************************************************
Here are 99
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3/ Let's think about it another way. I live in a town with a college of about 29,000 students. If they all get infected, 290 die. The town has a population of about 70,000. If we all get infected, 700 die. My kid's school has about 1,500 students. If they all get it, 15 die.
This is an important point. Some people use dual meaning on purpose to confuse people. That's bad #DetectingDeception. Others hear the confusing thing and are, well, confused.
2/ Example: Someone said in front of my kid yesterday that masks don't work. They do, and the kid and I had to have a talk about what might be going on here.
3/ If you think wearing a mask won't keep you 100 protected from COVID, you aren't wrong. But it does help reduce the chance of spread. Along with other things like vaccines, avoiding crowds, keeping it outdoors, TOGETHER, it helps a lot.
Took a mini #socialmedia break and on my return, my first impulse was to snarkily tweet "The plural of anecdote is not data." But that's probably not clear. Here's what I mean.
2/ I think humans are hardwired to learn from the experiences of others, and stories that engage the emotions are particularly effective. We have entire industries built around creating these stories to manipulate beliefs and actions, after all.
3/ Those stories can even be completely made up and still have powerful impacts. Think about...the tortoise and the hare. Fictional event to make a point Or George Washington and the cherry tree. Myth ABOUT A REAL PERSON used to make a point.
Good morning. The Senate trial begins today, and you'll have a lot of opportunities for #DetectingDeception. You've been warming up for months, but here are a few last-minute tips.
2/ You won't find the deceptions as much in things people say in the trial as you will in things people say about the trial in news and on social media. There are consequences for being deceptive in legal proceedings, but there may not be for doing it elsewhere.
3/ The incentives are actually pretty high to try to shape the shape the story outside of the trial. As I understand it, impeachment is a political process, which means the outcome may be a mix of what's right and what's helpful politically for some.
Off to teach today - a few hours in a de-densified classroom with masked students. Based on news reports, planning on double mask on me, but spent some time looking for official guidance from a health department and 🦗. This seems troublesome. #PartyLikeAProfessor
2/ I mean, look at this. One Google search for double masks for #COVID19 yields all this conflicting advice. 
3/ Which leads to...unhelpful... takes like this.
#WednesdayWisdom There has been a lot of calling media outlets #FakeNews over the last several years, and I thought this chart was interesting (Expand to see recent trends). #DetectingDeception
2/ It's been pretty evident that calling things #FakeNews was a way to avoid stories that the name-caller just didn't like. That's deceptive of course. Two ways you might notice this.
3/ First, is the #FakeNews accusation only used when it is bad things about the accuser? Second, does the accuser proudly cite the very same source when the story is complimentary?
This is an interesting summation from interviews with journalists covering taxi online cultures. Several interesting ideas including "to assess newsworthiness, one must also assess what weapons the story would hand to its audiences." datasociety.net/wp-content/upl…
2/ "Further, the choice
to engage with a false story – even in the effort to refute it – aligns with the interests of the manipulators, who see any form of amplification as a victory."
to engage with a false story – even in the effort to refute it – aligns with the interests of the manipulators, who see any form of amplification as a victory."
3/ Person-attacks... stories are popular and get clicks. "...stories should keep the story specific to the communities affected, focus on the impact of an attack, minimize sensationalist language and headlines, and reduce antihero framings of the perpetrator"
Today in #DetectingDeception is ... this. It's a good example of why reading past the tweet or headline is important, and also a good example of deceptive distraction.
2/ There's a full story, which you can read here. He basically went on, beyond the headline, to say that there are a variety of causes that could be examined. huffpost.com/entry/kevin-mc…
3/ That's probably true, but also beside the point. I think about it this way: I commute to work on an interstate. Very few people drive the speed limit of 65. I'd guess an average 75, with some folks going 90 or more. If everyone is too fast, is it wrong to pull anyone?
Today in #DetectingDeception is the false comparison. I've seen this graphic a few places on social media and I don't know if it's authentic, but for this discussion, that doesn't really matter. Here's why something like this would have issues.
2/ When you look at information, there are a few relevant questions you might ask:
Is it true?
Is it in context?
Is it relevant?
Is it true?
Is it in context?
Is it relevant?
3/ I started by looking at the source. There IS a Major Cities Chiefs Association, and they did produce a report on last summer's protests you can find on their website. majorcitieschiefs.com
Recent/current/future events in the U.S. got you feeling helpless? Here's one thing you can do today, right from where you are, to help. #FightFakeNews #DetectingDeception
2/ When people feel unsure, they try to get information to understand the situation. That's human nature. In a swirl of toxic lies and deceptions, it's very risky. Everyone needs to check themselves before they believe or repeat.
3/ Deplatforming people and information linked to violence is a good decision, but also a dangerous one. It is leading people to believe that they have to go further to find trusted sources with secret knowledge.
Today in #DetectingDeception is your feelings and how they encourage misinformation. There was a little kerfuffle recently over a much-shared post saying (falsely) that Mitch McConnell had vowed to allow no Democrat-sponsored bills in the new term.
2/ The post's writer has said it was a parody, and a follow-up tweet noted "Maybe people mistake me for an influencer." Why would this post get shared so often (sometimes by public figures)? Two things: Anxiety and uncertainty.
3/ Researchers have looked at rumor spread for more than 70 years, and anxiety and uncertainty are pretty consistent factors. This federal government transition feature both. People want to know what's happening and are unsure.
Today in #DetectingDeception Critical thinkers take the time to *understand* arguments that they don't agree with, and it helps them make better decisions. Ideally, you could make the argument for each side as well as someone who accepts it. #WednesdayWisdom
2/ Why bother to understand what others think? Two reasons. First, you might be wrong, and f you only go by what you assume, you'll never know. Pro-tip: find opinion from people who actually believe something. This means using a variety of sources.
3/ Second, if you are right, you are more convincing if you understand how those you argue against think. In other words, you'll win more arguments.
#Thread I've been seeing a lot lately of reporting that is true, but doesn't really matter. It's a case of #DetectingDeception
2/ The stories about the #coronavirus case increases as states allow more travel and commerce are a great example. You always need to wonder why something happens.
3/ The increases in cases are worrisome. The increase in testing is welcome. An increase in testing, particularly where it is targeted to places where infection is likely to spread means cases are likely to grow.
Today in #DetectingDeception is using black and white thinking, sometimes called a forced choice. You are seeing it in the some of the arguments for re-opening businesses, that are phrased as a choice between opening or more suicides/drug abuse.
2/ Black and white choices are appealing because they make complex things seem easy to think about. They are often wrong because they ignore important aspects and assume things are inevitable that really aren't.
3/ You are also often asking people to make choices between bad and worse things. Risk of disease spread's consequences to individuals and society vs. risks of addiction and depression for individuals and society.
Today in #DetectingDeception is ignoring the base rate - a problem we are seeing in the coverage of the #ReopenAmerica protests, particularly in photos and videos. #Thread newsobserver.com/news/politics-…
2/ Photos and videos are more compelling when they show emotion, and compelling art engages audiences. But when coverage is limited to the most emotional, the bigger picture can get lost.
3/ Consider this photo taken by the AP at a rally yesterday in Ohio. Looks like a busy protest, right? I’ve marked one of the emotional bits with a star.
#Thread It will be a bit of an historic week, with the beginning of open hearings on #impeachment. Here's some things I've learned that might help you make sense of them.
2/ My job during the Clinton #impeachment hearings involved sitting in a newsroom with TVs on for many hours every every day. It was an experience that was both fascinating and dyspeptic.
3/ I'd leave work each day with the same thought: "It's not about the sex! It's about the lying!!!" It was unbelievably frustrating to watch members of Congress, who you KNOW know better than this, make tons of bad-faith arguments.
