As a fan of social media and an active participant, I find myself frequently having to determine if what I am reading in articles, or in posts is true or fabricated.

This week I found what appeared to be a legitimate news source article that caught my attention, and raised my ire.  So, I reposted it on FB with the appropriate comment about how I was feeling.  Many of my friends and colleagues also saw the post, and commented accordingly.  

And then…..a colleague commented, “This is a hoax”.  Upon reflection, and on re-reading through the lens of hoax, it was so obvious that I felt embarrassed that I had fallen for it.

As our information sources become more diverse, our ability to discriminate and filter information becomes increasingly critical.  How do we filter what is important and what is not?

I recently read the paper Future Work Skills 2020 from the Institute for the Future for Apollo Research Institute and it highlighted this very thing in terms of a skill we are going to need to make our work work in the future.

I believe this is something we all need to take responsibility for ourselves.  Here are some things I’m thinking about:

• • Having a social media “brand” or strategy. What’s my purpose in being online? For example, am I about starting and contributing to conversations?  Am I creating value?  

• • Why am I sharing this piece of information with the world?  I’m reminded of the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, ”Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people”.  

• • Understanding the source.  Research, Google and check before going off “half cocked”.

I don’t pretend to be perfect at this, and it’s a competency I’m developing.  You still may see photos of a fabulous dessert I’m about to devour at a restaurant, and in the meantime, I’m working towards being a little more discerning about what I read, believe and share.

#makingvirtualwork #makingworkwork