Our Own Biases Feed the Disinformation Pandemic
Information overload presents an issue of bias we cannot overlook
We’ve been faced with uncomfortable realities about the biases we all hold in the last year.
The Black Lives Matter protests, prompted by gut-wrenching violence inflicted on black people and caught on camera, made many of us grapple with how ingrained racial and social injustices are in our country. And on January 6, as a mob of largely white men descended on our capitol, we were again reminded about the incongruity of the assumptions we hold about people. Officers in uniform were blindsided by the flag-waving Trump supporters who often tout their commitment to “law and order,” assuming they would respect both. Instead, the flags they carried were, quite literally, used to defile the building where the laws are made and bludgeon the people who keep the order.
Our brains are wired to find shortcuts, make assumptions, and seek information that confirms what we already believe. Such biases are not inherently bad. These shortcuts help us filter and prioritize vast amounts of information with little effort. They’re what help us get through the aisles of a grocery store or an overflowing inbox without going crazy. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky are the grandfathers of the research in this sphere, beginning with their ground-breaking 1974 article “Judgment Under Uncertainty.” But recent events have renewed interest in the topic of biases.
Unfortunately, much of the recent analysis of biases appears pretty bleak. Blind Spot and the research on bias training tell us that the situation might be hopeless. We can’t re-wire our brains, and our racist tendencies are very deeply embedded. Daniel Kahneman even admits that biases are hard to overcome. But hard isn’t the same thing as hopeless.
We are facing a crisis of disinformation that is tearing at the fabric our of our nation. Our informational ecosystem is polluted, allowing people to select their own facts. Some, those who feel disaffected and forgotten, choose to believe ideas that oversimplify the situation, justify grievance, and even dehumanize others or incite violence. Others fall on the opposite spectrum, allowing the actions of a few to confirm their suspicions of entire populations.
Thinking about Thinking
How do we clean up our polluted information ecosystem? How do we convince those who find all facts to be further evidence of their own far-fetched alternate reality?
We start by thinking about thinking.
We all seek information that confirms what we already believe. We need to appreciate that the mental shortcuts that lead people to seek solace in dangerous delusions are the same shortcuts that lead others to watch Rachel Maddow. Conversely, we also dismiss information that undermines our preferred narratives. If we believe that Tom Brady is an overrated quarterback, we remember every interception he throws and downplay his other impressive stats. (I’m speaking from experience here.)
We are drawn to stories that our gut tells us are right, not facts that challenge our worldview. We all tend to believe what feels true, rather than what is true.
To break the fever of disinformation that surrounds us, the first place we should start is with ourselves.
Self-Awareness is Key
We can become more self-aware of our own mental shortcuts. We can slow down and invoke what Kahneman calls our “System 2” more often --the part of your brain that is more effortful and less reactionary.
When reading an article, we could stop and look at the source and the author and think about their inherent biases. Instead of just clicking on the top result in our google search, we could dig a little and consider multiple sources.
Interestingly, research shows us that that information presented in a hard-to-read font makes readers more open to adjusting their beliefs.
Perhaps most importantly, we can stop living in the swirling vortex of social media, the echo chamber that allows us to see only information that validates our biases and shields us from the ideas that challenge them. The way information is packaged on social media makes it very difficult for our brain to discern fact from fiction, ad from post and news from commentary. One of the easiest things we can do is stop liking or retweeting – the primary way that disinformation gets spread.
Our information ecosystem is strewn with garbage. So, in the words of the old PSA: Don’t Be a Litterbug. It is a small action you can take to help keep our community clean.
Want to stay up to date on topics like this? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn. We also offer Alternative Analysis Techniques (AATs) a unique toolkit initially developed and deployed by the U.S. military and intelligence communities. AATs have helped leaders in the public and private sector alike mitigate organizational and cognitive biases while allowing you to anticipate challenges, navigate complexities, and think more strategically. Schedule a time to learn more from our practice lead Susan Craig and our team HERE.