Whenever we need to check, verify, or learn more on a specific topic, we search the world wide web, or to be specific we google it. It’s truly amazing what we can find out with just a few taps on our screen, it’s like carrying the biggest library in the world in our pockets. However, it’s not really like that mainly because there is a lot of false information online as well. Here we will go over some of the pros and cons of looking for information online and give you some tips on how to analyze the available data. 

Try to leave personal biases aside   

Very often we are after a specific piece of information because we are trying to win an argument, and in a lot of cases we are able to find out if we are right or not. Unfortunately, very often we will find information that supports both sides of the argument because there is nothing that prevents someone from expressing their opinion regardless of whether it is true or not. Nowadays, there is a large group of people that actually believe the earth is flat, in spite of all the evidence that suggests otherwise. 

This is a perfect example of how false information spreads online. And today if you argue with someone and google information to support your claim, they can do the same and find results that work in their favor. So always look for reliable sources of information and take everything with a grain of salt just in case. Also even if something is not published on a reliable portal does not mean it’s false, it might mean that it’s not verified yet. 

The media can be biased 

If there is one thing that we learned over the past few years is that the media can be biased. This is because journalists are not typically crowdfunded and whoever is providing funds might want them to report with a specific agenda in mind. They can frame or explore a specific event from a different angle that can evoke either negative or positive reactions. They can also choose not to publish something if it goes against their benefactors, which really goes against neutral reporting. In other words, if you want to get to the bottom of something, you will likely have to hear both sides of the argument and ascertain on your own what makes the most sense. 

There are verified sites

Google actually has a database of reliable websites, but bear in mind that these websites don’t have all the answers. The information you can find here is mostly related to health and finances. This is because there are a lot of online scams or products that boast claims that are too good to be true. So, if you want to do a background check on the health implications of a particular substance, you will have reliable sources you can trust. Once again, if certain information is not there it might mean it’s not verified yet.