Algorithms. AI. Automatic reaction: How to safely and reliably navigate digital media

By Sophie Nguyen

Pick up the phone, click on the app, watch the first video. 

For everyone, this routine is all too familiar. 

Immediately, the 30-second video draws intense focus, as the viewer gasps at the content that they are viewing–too shocked to check the account that the content originated from or to realize the content’s authenticity. 

For me, this immediate thought is all too usual. 

From political information to celebrity updates, youth often get their news and content from social media. However, in today’s society, almost anyone can spread the news–from professional journalists to everyday citizens. Digital democracy allows anyone to pass around information, and these loose guidelines have a tendency to cause misinformation or sensationalism. 

From the release of ChatGPT towards the end of 2022 to a massive increase in AI-generated software readily accessible to the general public, the prevalence of media created synthetically has increased exponentially. As one who engages with online news regularly, it is absolutely terrifying how any potential difference between fact and fiction is indistinguishable to the bare eye yet could cause an instant reaction. From photographs taken of community protests to natural disasters, my first look at these images immediately draws conclusions–until I closely examine the photo to see faults in proportionality or substance. 

This experience may not be a singular one:  In order to combat strong emotions that may result from such media, here are some practices for safer digital navigation. 

Prioritize following verified journalism accounts on social media

Rather than trusting news from any account, it is essential to follow verified accounts from well-known publications (e.g. @nytimes, @sfchronicle, @washingtonpost, etc.). These accounts, especially those that align close to center on the AllSides Media Bias Chart, are less likely to sensationalize information and deliver news in a reliable, accurate manner. 

Check for AI-produced content

However, even major publications have had instances of not providing trustworthy stories. In order to avoid any misinformation, it is imperative to fact-check all material read on social media. In addition to the written word, be sure to check images, videos, and other media to see if they are authentic or AI-generated. 

There are a lot of tools that are accessible to the general public to detect whether or not a particular piece of content was generated by AI or not. For instance, developers have created detection tools for both text (e.g. GPTZero, AuthentiCheck AI, Undetectable AI, etc.) and other media such as images and video (e.g. Winston AI, Hive Moderation, etc.). Beyond using these tools to detect the validity of certain media, users can even perform reverse image searches on major search engines to trace the originality of the media. In fact, for certain AI-generated platforms, a watermark is automatically attached to the image, which further facilitates identification. 

Seek news from websites and news apps rather than social media

Rather than relying on social media as a centralized location for news, diversify your news sources! In order to read news comprehensively, check the actual websites to read the entire story. Alternatively, don’t just solely rely on one app (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, etc.); consider downloading apps directly from these news publications to get more accurate news. 

Podcasts

Diversify your media! Rather than scrolling, it could be helpful and restful for your eyes if you indulge yourself in podcasts. Whether it be informational podcasts such as The Daily by the New York Times or podcasts that include commentary and analysis, I highly recommend checking out a variety of podcasts. Podcasts often feature commentary from experts, so be sure to wisely choose podcasts and learn news from there! 

Through fact-checking and diversifying media, users can be more assured that content is accurate, and these measures can ensure a safe and reliable usage of digital media.  

About the author:

Sophie (she/her) is a high-school student in Placer County, California, and she serves as a GoodforMEdia Ambassador. Through writing about her own personal experiences and discussing with peers about theirs, Sophie aims to address digital wellness concerns amongst today’s adolescents and strives to emphasize both the positive and negative implications associated with online media.