We Live In A Mis-Information Age Too

I was supposed to be shoveling this morning.  Actually, I was also supposed to be shoveling Sunday morning.  Eleven inches overnight!  Seven inches overnight! Admittedly, we’re definitely cold.  And there’s a dusting of snow on the ground.  But it’s far-cry from the ceiling crushing volume our friends in Minneapolis endured…

Yet as we entered the weekend, the television and internet were rife with warnings.  In fact, on any given day, news outlets are thick with scary prognostication.  And we believe them.  Which is only natural.  After all, we’d hate to ignore them and be caught off guard.  During the slow news days before Thanksgiving, I breathlessly parroted the dire forecasts of huge delays caused by air-traveller revolts over invasive new bodyscanners.  But that didn’t happen either.

Living at the speed of Google is a blessing and a curse.  When information comes at you so fast, it’s very hard to discern fact from speculation.  Like the weather, situations can change quickly.  And like the weatherman, we don’t blame the reporters or news outlets that get it wrong.  We chalk it up to the shortcomings of the system and move on.

And waste a lot of time needlessly worrying.

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By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Element 79

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One thought on “We Live In A Mis-Information Age Too

  1. vince kamin says:

    Somehow each year we survive. In fact, as a midwestener, I embrace the
    challenge by preparing for each winter’s thrust. Winterizing my car and my
    wife’s. Tightening the house’s insulation. Then sitting back and watching
    domes collapse, our home team lose and the thought that it’s not winter that let’s me down but our home football team’s bravado.

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