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Editorial: Beware of alternate facts

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The more we know, the less we know.

As we age, those of us who are self-aware come to an understanding the world is a complicated place. We realize as the years roll by that perhaps we aren’t as smart as we thought we are.

For those of us who want to learn, there has been no better time in the history of humanity. Information is at our fingertips. Encyclopedias have given way to a device that fits in the palm of our hand – information in real time.

Want to know what Jay-Z or Kayne West is up to? Use Google. Want to understand the science behind the coronavirus, search Google. Who’s leading the NHL stats in most fighting minutes? It’s a couple of thumbs away.

If you want to feel part of a community – of like-minded people – head to Facebook or Instagram. Want to vent? Throw out a volley? Stir things up? Twitter is your place.

This all sounds like Utopia, and it should be, but human nature doesn’t afford it.

Social media has taken intelligent discourse to a level of deceit and nastiness that feeds on itself. Anonymity allows the most brazen attacks on decency. People, even under their own identity, will effortlessly post vitriol they wouldn’t dare consider expressing to someone’s face.

The president of the United States is rewriting the rules. Twitter is his fiefdom. Journalists are contemptuous. Donald Trump isn’t just moving the needle of acceptable discourse; he’s broken the needle and using it as a toothpick. One can almost see him, comfortably tucked into bed between his Egyptian silk-thread sheets at Mar-a-Lago, laughing at us, the commoners.

There is no sense reminiscing about the days before the advent of social media. We must look forward to what might be. This is the year of the U.S. presidential election, and Trump is already poised to abuse the fruits of technology to capture his second term as the leader of the free world.

“Liking” something on Facebook will reward you with content – content you like and agree with. While that sounds great, it’s dangerous.

The recent impeachment hearings are a perfect case study for the dangers of social media. Damning testimony of the president’s conduct in the Ukraine matter was repurposed on Facebook by Trump’s campaign. Video of that testimony was cunningly edited to make it look like Trump was exonerated. Those who subscribe to “news” via social media are bound to enjoy the news that suits them, and not necessarily the news that espouses the truth.

We live in very perilous times. The facts, reported by journalists, are thrown in the digital garbage can in favour of fake news – the very news Trump touts as fact. If you’re not paying attention, you just might fall for it.

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