Blurred Lines Between Real and Fake

   

   In his TedTalk, one of the very first points Michael Patrick Lynch makes is something I completely agree with. Around a minute in, Lynch says, "...it seems as if the more information we share and access online, the more difficult it can be for us to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. It's as if we know more but understand less". Now that I have heard him say those words, I realize just how true they are. In a way, it relates to the last TedTalk we listened to, which was by Andreas Ekstrom. Ekstrom talked about how search results are usually biased based on the writer of the article we look at. Lynch saying it's difficult for us to see what may be real versus what may be fake can tie in because biased authors can be twisting truth to make a person look better, or even worse. 
   Around two minutes in, Lynch asks the audience, "So how are we going to solve this problem of knowledge polarization?". I think the answer, or at least one simple answer, is to do what our teachers have always told us, and taught us, to do; look for reliable sources. Seeing a Facebook friend's post that claims the world is going to end tomorrow at midnight might make someone raise eyebrows, then shrug and keep scrolling. But, seeing a news report from a more serious website, like the government's website, warning against a deadly sickness and how to prevent it, is probably going to be more reliable than a friend's Facebook status update. Then again, some people may not even believe a post from their government. I think it just comes down to the knowledge and beliefs of the person who is reading whatever sort of post or article is out there on the Internet.
   Nearly four minutes in, Lynch mentions how, "It goes like this: we just can't step outside of our own perspectives; we can't step outside of our biases". I believe many people, including myself, have a very difficult time hearing the other side of things. If someone does not agree with that side, they're probably going to shut out everything relating to it. Because they disagree, as said by Lynch, "...we just get more information from our perspective". I see this as the truth because after hearing someone, or reading something, that goes against our own beliefs, we, out of defense, only stand by our morals more.
   "Real versus fake" is all over the Internet, and not just for news sources, like politics. If you go to YouTube and search "real vs. fake", around twenty nine million videos come up. They're videos reviewing real makeup products versus the "dupe" (or fake) product; same with shoes, clothing, and accessories. These videos can be found for any sort of product and for almost any brand.

   
   No matter what you're looking for (makeup, shoes, political information, current events, etc.), whatever you find online, is probably going to be biased. It can be negative, because it may result in us having a hard time seeing the other side of an argument. But, it can also be positive; it could help you save tons of money on a makeup product since the dupe may work just as well!