The world we live in currently has been mostly digitalized in some way or other. For instance, we have shifted from traditional newspaper to digital news, from cash to contactless payment, and from face-to-face interaction to video calls or text. However, all this things have an associated cost. To begin, I would like to share an amazing quote that ties to this weeks lecture content.
When something online is free, you’re not the customer, you’re the product
– Johnathan Zittrain
Internet is a place with lots of open source and information available just a click away. Although, it is important to know that this information is not for free because we have to see ads, our online activity is being tracked, we might have to sacrifice our information (like email and name for login),…etc. We pay the cost to access the content.
The other aspect to such an information access is that asking a question to ourselves, Is it Reliable? Any motives involved behind it?
There are many misleading information available online and on social platforms. Firstly, let’s look at the term: misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is the false information that is spread without any intent to mislead. On the other hand, disinformation is intentionally generated false information to mislead. Both have broad differences but have a common ground that is to mislead. Hence, as a user who has to stay up to date in the digital cyberspace it important to be aware of the surroundings, we cannot simply quite the digital race and go back to the traditional way of living. The reading by Caulfield (2016) nicely explains the way to deal with information online, like using the CRAAP/REDCAB. You can read the article here.
As a final thought, I would like to say that on this website, the content that I generate is totally raw (i.e. coming from my personal experience) and then I add some research that has been conducted via online channels. I read papers by experts and try to share it out with you. I am trying to share the most credible resources out here and link it so that you can refer them as well. The goal moving forward to carry on with the same approach and share the best knowledge out there to my audience.
References
Caulfield, M. (2016). Yes, Digital Literacy. But which one?https://hapgood.us/2016/12/19/yes-digital-literacy-but-which-one/
