Where do we get most of our information about the world around us?
Traditional news, social media or fake news websites, has no basis in fact, but is presented as being factually accurate. Social media usually catches your eye by click baiting you into believing news is true. 

What signs can we look for to see if something is “fake news”?
Fake news is written and published usually with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership. Similarly, click bait stories and headlines earn advertising revenue from this activity.

How do we identify reliable sources of information?
Not all written sources are reliable, no matter how sound their arguments may appear to be. To evaluate the reliability of a piece of writing, you must consider several issues related to the subject and to the person or publisher that presents it. Is the information current? Is it related directly to the topic it discusses? Does it provide sources for supporting ideas? Are these sources reliable? Is the purpose of the information to inform, to persuade, to sell, or even to entertain? Has the information been written and published recently? Does a date of publication appear? Finally, who is responsible for the information? Is an author or publisher listed at all?

Why is this important?
 Social media users are highly subject to confirmation bias, the unintentional tendency to gravitate toward and process information that is consistent with existing beliefs. This can result in decision-making that ignores information that is inconsistent with those beliefs.When you don’t consume the media you are uninformed when you do consume the media you are misinformed.

What is the problem with “fake news”? What is it’s greater impact on society?
It’s not just making people believe false things—a new study suggests it’s also making them less likely to consume or accept information. Fake-news stories hurt people in other ways, too. False reports lead some parents to refuse vaccines for their children. Yet without vaccines, children can get deadly diseases. False stories about birth control can result in unplanned pregnancies or illness. Made-up stories about ethnic groups can lead to more discrimination. The less people know about current events, the less likely they’ll be able to make informed choices about public matters.

What is “information literacy:?
“Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.’As citizens we can try to be more aware of the things we read and not be so reliant on every piece of information that pops on the screen.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/fake-news-republicans-democrats/591211/

Studying can be difficult, I should know. I am the queen of procrastination! To make studying easier for us procrastinators it is important to know how your brain works, also how your brain process information. I bet you never heard about neuroplasticity? What about a growth mindset? If I was correct that is wonderful, and now you can practice both by reading the rest of this post.

What is a growth mindset and how is it different from a fixed mindset? A fixed mindset is a belief that others are gifted talents like intelligence and other things. In contrast, a growth mindset is a belief that learning more and studying can build the brain. It is the concept your brain gets stronger the more you exercise it. The next time you are studying hard think of it as a good workout at the gym. The more you do the easier studying becomes.

What on earth is neuroplasticity? Neuroplacisty is the belief that your brain has the ability to rewire. For example, repetitively choosing to study rather than binge-watching a new season of  YOU on Netflix. As you can see Neuroplacisty is not a fixed way of thinking because of the belief that you are constantly progressing new habits.

How do I feed my brain correctly? The first step to feeding your brain is to stop procrastinating! Set up a schedule to study every week and actually follow the schedule. Work at your own pace and things will flow smoothly. A great tip is that studying too hard can be overwhelming because you can forget what you studied. Study a little at a time and take small breaks in between. Also, different noise environments work differently for others. You could be in a very silent place and get extremely distracted if this is you try to balance the amount of background noise that works for you. remember your brain is a muscle and exercise makes you stronger.