Otherwise titled, why doesn't anyone fact check anymore?
When people go on about what's 'wrong with Britain today' my usual contribution is 'a lack of reading comprehension'. It often seems like people don't bother to read anything properly (i.e. the headline said this, I don't care if the article itself completely contradicts it) and, even worse, they seem happy to accept everything at face value. In a world where Google exists I find it astounding that people aren't questioning
everything.
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Not real. |
I'm bringing this up today thanks to a facebook post I saw linking to '
the 13 worst children's toys we've ever seen' on the goodtoknow website. All the usual suspects were there - Zbigniew Libera's
Shave the Baby, Darren Cullen's
Baby's First Baby, Super Nanny Brazil promo item
Lovely Strait Jacket, and the photoshopped
Why Mommy Poisoned You. (And why, when toys like
Teen Pregnancy Beautiful Sally legitimately do exist?)
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Very real. |
Maybe I should give goodtoknow the benefit of the doubt, and maybe they do realise their list is full of fakes. I just get the impression they're hoping that the people who click through to the list won't be so thorough, and search engine helping comments full of misinformed outrage will be their reward...
Oh I so agree with you on this. Every day I rubbish like this shared. Or the 'this soldier came back from fighting and a muslim wouldnt serve him in uniform' types posts. It make me want to scream, why are people so stupid. I think however stupid isnt the right word. People have become lazy. They accept everything at face value without engaging their brains for a second. They can see pictures of these toys so obviously they mustt be real.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, if you stop and think its obvious the aim of this article is to gain views and comments from people. #Effitfriday
It just seems like there is a weird disconnect - if a politician said something, people wouldn't waste two seconds before looking at the facts behind the figures and calling their bluff. But if the press say it they just assume some journalist must have done it for them already which, really, is very seldom the case!
DeleteI'm always pulled in by the headlines. But when I just have to see click click click with adverts it's so annoying I give in. I really must stop being seduced by click bait!
ReplyDeleteAd-spam click bait is the worst, especially if you're on mobile!
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