Introduction to Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #1

Summary

In this Crash Course episode, John Green introduces viewers to the challenges of navigating digital information. He discusses the prevalence of misleading and false information online and the importance of being critical consumers of content. Green highlights the MediaWise project, a collaboration with the Poynter Institute and the Stanford History Education Group, aimed at teaching students to assess online information accuracy. The episode emphasizes the need for fact-checking skills in the digital age, as even experts struggle to discern credible sources, and sets the stage for a series on improving these critical abilities.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The Internet is a vast source of information and a platform for connection, but it is also filled with misleading and false information.
• 🏊‍♂️ People are often unaware of the biases and misinformation they are exposed to online, similar to the fish not recognizing water.
• 🤔 Believing oneself to be immune to false information can be a sign of being influenced by it.
• 🔍 MediaWise, in collaboration with the Poynter Institute and Google, aims to educate students on assessing the accuracy of online information.
• 📚 The MediaWise curriculum is based on research from the Stanford History Education Group, focusing on civic online reasoning.
• 📈 The average American spends a significant amount of time online, with some being almost constantly connected.
• 📊 The design of a website is often mistakenly used as a measure of its credibility, which can lead to the acceptance of unreliable information.
• 🧩 Misinformation and disinformation can influence various decisions, from everyday choices to significant life decisions.
• 📉 The presence of statistics or infographics on a website does not guarantee the reliability of the information presented.
• 📝 Fact-checkers are skilled at discerning fact from fiction, and their methods will be explored in subsequent episodes.

Q & A

What is the average time an American spends online per week?

The average American spends 24 hours per week online.

What percentage of U.S. adults claim to be online almost constantly?

One in four U.S. adults say that they are online almost constantly.

What is the main goal of the MediaWise project?

The main goal of the MediaWise project is to teach students how to assess the accuracy of information they encounter online.

Which organization developed the MediaWise curriculum?

The MediaWise curriculum was developed by the Stanford History Education Group.

What is the significance of the 'water' joke told by John Green in the script?

The 'water' joke is used to illustrate the idea that we often don't recognize the environment we are immersed in, and it serves as a reminder to be suspicious of anyone who claims to have a special understanding of the information landscape.

What are the two main types of false information mentioned in the script?

The two main types of false information mentioned are misinformation, which is unintentionally incorrect information, and disinformation, which is information that is wrong on purpose.

Why is it important to evaluate the quality of information we receive?

Evaluating the quality of information is important because it directly shapes the quality of our decisions, which in turn affects our shared human experience.

What did the Stanford History Education Group study reveal about students' ability to judge website credibility?

The study revealed that students often base their evaluations of website credibility on superficial factors such as the site's design and appearance, rather than the content or sources provided.

What is sponsored content and why is it potentially misleading?

Sponsored content is when a company pays for a post on a website that looks like a news article but is actually advertising. It is potentially misleading because it can make readers believe that the content is journalistic when it is actually promotional.

How did the fact-checkers in the Stanford History Education Group study perform when evaluating information quality?

The fact-checkers performed well in evaluating information quality because they employed a variety of carefully honed skills to decipher fact from fiction, unlike other groups in the study.

What is one way to learn more about MediaWise and fact-checking according to the script?

One way to learn more about MediaWise and fact-checking is by visiting their Instagram page @mediawisetips.