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Misinformation Overload -

The problem of our day just got worse with information overload; now we have misinformation overload.

As if the Information Age didn’t bring us enough of a problem with information overload, we now have a Misinformation Age bringing us the compounded problem of misinformation overload.  The majority of life’s problems are caused by people exchanging misinformation and then acting on it as though it were good information. This is especially true with interpersonal relationships, where all problems are related to misinformation overload
 

Consider these sources of misinformation to get an idea of how wild this problem is today:

• Malicious information.
• Mistaken information.
• Miscommunicated information.
• Misunderstood information.
• Misinterpreted information
• Incomplete information.
• Wrong information.
• Inaccurate information.
• Overly editorialized information.
• Irrelevant information.
• Misconnected information.
• False information.
• Misleading information.

     The trouble is, that we get this information without knowing what the true flavor is until we act on it and get results we don’t want. Then it is too late. If we trust the source of the information—respected authority, critical thinking, scientific method, higher authority, perceptions, accepted opinions, trusted friends,  good books etc.—then we believe potential misinformation as being true , accurate and complete and act on it accordingly. I don’t think I need to spell out the normal dire circumstances of this equation.  There is simply too much room for error, even before miscommunication makes it worse. What can we do about this to improve the situation and reduce unnecessary misinformation?

Here are a few doable suggestions:

1. Realize the widespread problem of misinformation and miscommunication and assume the worst as the baseline to improve and then start doing that.
2. Take the time to get all your facts straight before you start telling half a story..
3. Take the time to evaluate the validity of the facts the best way you can, knowing you have to stop somewhere when more information  is just confusing.
4. Always try to write and speak the best available truth according to your moral compass, realizing truth is always evolving and so a tentative approach is the wisest one.
5. Never assume the information is correct or the communication is good without at least taking the time and making the effort to verify this.
6. Learn to write and speak in unemotional facts, without editorializing with personal opinions, unless the emotional component if essential.
7. Always strive to clarify potential misunderstanding or miscommunication, when you suspect this might be the case.
8. Don’t connect things in one sentence which simply don’t belong together and aren’t really related or connected in any way.
9. Think about what and how you say and write things and how they can easily be misinterpreted or misunderstood. Choose your words wisely and watch out for hot button words that stop communication before it gets started.
10. Always have pure intentions in what you communicate and when you are not clear on something, it might be smart to wait until you are clear.
11. Take the time to find out the rest of the story before telling the first half, knowing there is more to come.
12. Try to forget what wrong information you have in your brain that could make room for some right information that can be more useful.

 William Cottringer, Ph.D.

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