ACCURATE INFORMATION

After the development of the personal computer, a need arose to train people on how to use these new gadgets. Schools met this need by offering classes to people who wanted to learn how to use computers for such things as word processing and email. Since that time, computer capabilities have grown infinitely. With the development of the internet, people are able to look up information on virtually anyone or anything.

With the development of the iPhone in 2007, information available through search engines has become even easier. In developed countries almost everyone, including children, has access to all the information that is available on the internet. Even in less developed countries cell phone use is widespread.

The problem is: much of the available information is false. A major example of this is the lies about Covid 19 that have been spread over the internet. Because of these lies, large numbers of people have refused to get vaccinated against this deadly disease, and many have died because of this refusal. Another Big Lie that has been disseminated is the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. Because so many people believed that lie, thousands of believers ascended to the Capitol on January 6, 2020, and tried to overthrow the presidential election. People died from this insurrection.

Two generations ago the schools answered a need by teaching people how to use these new devices. The challenge now is to educate people so they will not be taken in by the next lies that are spread over the internet.

People need to develop a skepticism about what they read over the internet and indeed about any source of information. They need to evaluate sources of information and recognize that news from QAnon is not as valid as news from the New York Times. It is not a matter of politics. Liz Cheney is not the only conservative Republican that recognizes that “facts” believed by the MAGA crowd are probably not factual.

People have died because they believed false information about Covid 19. We could lose our democracy if too many people believe the lies that come from the MAGA crowd and their like.

Schools need to rise to the task again. People need to be educated so they will not fall for the lies that are spread over the internet. They need to learn how to evaluate information sources. Lives and American democracy are at stake.