People must fact check social media

With all the chaos in this country there is one thing that runs very true to form. Social media is brainwashing those who blindly believe everything that is pushed out by it.

When Facebook first came out, it was a great way to keep in contact with high school classmates, college friends, co-workers, and family. But it has evolved into a tool that creates and distributes divisive misinformation in America. Facebook allows most members to post AI generated false statements by so called important people and unfortunately many people do not fact check and take it as the gospel truth.

If you are conservative or liberal, the system analyzes what you click on to read and you only see that type of rhetoric going forward. I am extremely concerned that without proper controls the social media misinformation frenzy could result in a civil war in this country. Benjamin Franklin made a statement that "Half the truth is often a great lie."

Please, please, please FACT CHECK information before you believe it. I have learned to not believe anything on social media until I fact check it. I think we need laws that should advise the reader that the posting was AI generated or is strictly an opinion that should be fact checked. Unfortunately most people won't take the time to fact check and this polarizing indoctrination on both sides of the political spectrum.

What happened to news reports that just report the facts and let us decide what is the truth rather than how we should think.

Ray Thys

Marion