By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

About a year ago, the Associated Press (AP) released a news story that included an image later discovered to be generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The AP issued a retraction, but the image had already spread across the world.

If journalists can be fooled by misinformation, then is it any surprise that the rest of us fall for it, too? Fake news stories populate my social media feeds on a daily basis. I see friends and family share these stories regularly. Some are harmless stories about movies or television shows that don’t exist, but some are truly dangerous. These stories spread lies and falsehoods that perpetuate stereotypes, mania, and hatred in our already divided society.

It’s easy to see these posts and think, “How could someone believe that story is true?” We puff ourselves up and say we would never fall for it. The people sharing these posts must be delusional or stupid. Surely we are smarter than that.

Have I got news for you: every one of us has bought into the lies at some point. Let’s get off our high horses and admit that it’s easy to fall for misinformation. Instead of judging others, we must acknowledge that we are all susceptible. We must react with love when our friends and family believe the lies and sow discord by sharing inaccurate information. Love is the only way forward.

What Would Jesus Do?

When someone you know shares misinformation, several thoughts can race through your mind: what is wrong with this person? They really believe this? If they believe this, then they are my enemy. Maybe they don’t know that this information is a lie. I should tell them by replying to this post and berating them for their folly.

Raging and publicly shaming others for falling for misinformation only furthers the division between us. What if we react in a different way instead? Romans 12:17-18 says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men” (WEB). Becoming a keyboard warrior doesn’t sound like being at peace with others. Reaching out one-on-one, gently explaining that what was shared is incorrect information, now that sounds peaceful and honorable. That sounds like love.

Love should be the basis for our reactions. Yes, you can still have a knee-jerk reaction of anger and disbelief. Emotions are part of being human! It’s what you do next that matters. Do you take time to cool off before talking to this person, or do you start hitting keys and typing out a message with adrenaline and self-righteousness flowing through your veins? Think about how Jesus would want you to react. When He hung on the cross, instead of condemning His persecutors, He prayed for them and asked God to forgive them. He acted out of love for them.  If Jesus could love those who crucified Him, surely we can try to love people who share misinformation on the internet? Those people are usually our friends and family. We know them. We care about them. It should be easy to love them enough to talk to them about what they are posting online and to approach such a conversation calmly and rationally. If that’s something you struggle with, then pray on it! Ask God to give you the words to speak to your misinformed friend and ask God to soften their heart so they are receptive to your conversation.

Take a Breath and Do Your Research

Don’t forget that we are as guilty as anyone else for sharing misinformation! We see a headline that evokes an emotional reaction and instead of doing our due diligence, we take it as truth and hit that share button as fast as we can. Now other people see that headline and since they trust that we would never lie to them, they fall for the misinformation, too. It’s like tossing a rock in a lake and watching the ripples spread outward. You can’t stop them. They will keep fanning out until they reach the shore.

I could go on and on about the importance of digital media literacy, but I’ll share this Bible verse instead: So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20 WEB). Generally, the emotional response caused by a particular headline is anger, or at least that’s what I’ve seen lately. There’s nothing wrong with being incensed by the terrible events occurring around the world. It’s great motivation to force us to act. But before we take that first step, we need to ensure that we have all the facts.

“Slow to speak” can also mean “wait before hitting the share button.” Take a moment to double check the domain name for the original post. Is it a legitimate news source? Does the headline match the contents of the article? The goal of a sensational headline is to capture your attention; it doesn’t always tell the whole story though. If the story pits people against one another, try finding an article from the other person’s perspective. I studied journalism in college and I can tell you that journalistic bias is real. Videos can be edited or created with AI. Interviews can be boiled down to sound bites used to support a specific theory. This doesn’t always happen-most journalists have integrity, but they are also human, and just like the rest of us, they can fall for misinformation too.

React with Love

The internet is full of lies. AI makes it easy for anyone to fake a video or a photograph. Anyone can purchase a domain name and create a website and post whatever content they want. Information on the internet is not policed or corroborated. Any of us can be tricked into believing the lies.

We owe it to ourselves and the people we care about to share posts from reputable sites and journalists and to always fact-check first. More than that, our friends and family deserve loving responses when they accidentally share misinformation. Hatred breeds hatred. We don’t need more hatred in the world. We need love. Specifically, we need Christ’s love. With His help, our eyes can be opened to the falsehoods and our mouths can speak truth and love to all who need to hear it.