There’s this image on the internet of Abraham Lincoln holding a model of an early model of the I-phone and the caption had read, PLEASE DON’T SAY THIS IS PHOTOSHOPPED, THERE WAS STILL NO PHOTOSHOP IN HIS TIME.
While meant to be funny, the sad thing is, there would still be those who will believe the mobile might have indeed existed in his time. Who knows? My friend and neighbor had said. Then, when shown a picture of a supposed Big Foot, his reaction had been the same. I would probably say the same thing too. Never on the I-phone though.
In another post, it showed a picture where something that looked like an old ladies’ Swiss watch lay imbedded among the muddied contents of an unearthed vase dated to have been more than a thousand years old. And as if to show an air of impartiality, the writer had encouraged readers to offer what was their opinion on this finding. Who knows indeed.
Although some of the posts today may be meant to be rather innocent and light, at the same time entertaining, intriguing and meaning to be informative, the continuous bombardment of such on the internet, combined with the usual samplings of real information, all but conditions people into that state wherein no one is sure anymore of what to believe. It isn’t really surprising that they would indeed flourish unlike before. The very nature of the internet as a free platform for expression has made it so.
Nowadays, fake news, misinformation and disinformation truly abound and as it is, they are difficult to detect. One problem is, there would be still be people who’d fall for them. On the day to day, reports of scams, identity theft and other net crimes are reportedly on the rise, despite continuous warnings by banks and other establishments.
The magnitude of misinformation and disinformation is unfathomable when it comes to the realm of politics. Since recent elections, in both national and in some countries, alleged preparation and build-up of massive misinformation campaigns against opponents have been brought up, even as they’ve not been eventually proven. The thing is, until now, while everything’s still up in the air, another election exercise is in the horizon.
Now, what’s the ruckus all about? It seems that on the ground, there may have already begun some supposedly-subtle but pathetically clear maneuverings and disinformation against certain personalities who may be prove to be difficult rivals in the next national exercise. Same as before, this template holds firm, and for both sides, it’s the case of early bird gets the worm. As the electorate, with this little knowledge, how do we sift the truth from the fake? Perhaps one only needs to see from whose mouth the toads are jumping from.
