''I read it on the internet''

The other day, a colleague at work shared his thoughts with me about the so-called "woke agenda." He argued that it actually serves "the economic interests of powerful multinationals."

Similar claims about a woke conspiracy "leading us to extremes," though without any mention of financial motives, were also made by a relative of mine not long ago. Both of them are in their thirties, so they’re part of a younger generation. My relative, who lives in the U.S., told me that children are being "forced" to change their gender against their will because gender fluidity and being transgender are being pushed on them.

When I asked both my colleague and relative where they got this information, their answer was the same: "I read it on the Internet." When I pressed further about ''where'' on the Internet, they couldn’t recall the exact source. I can't fully blame them because with the rapid scrolling we all do daily, it’s hard to remember everything we consume. Most of it is nonsense anyway, and we end up taking in far more than we can process.

The spread of unreliable, unverified information through social media is nothing new. It’s not just about the current "woke agenda" conspiracy, which has found a following in certain alt-right circles. Misinformation has been around for years, and while social media can sometimes democratize access to information, it also amplifies propaganda and half-truths that existed long before the Internet. The problem has only worsened in recent years.

Given how widespread and deeply embedded this problem has become, institutions and governments that want to be taken seriously have no excuse for not addressing it.

A good start could be made in schools. Alongside traditional lessons like morning prayers, which are still taught to young children in public schools—despite the separation of church and state—there could be a course on media literacy. There are experts and plenty of resources available, and with a little political will, a curriculum could be created.

Is there anything more important than preparing children to face the challenges of today's world? A recent survey in the U.S. and Canada showed that the generations most vulnerable to online fraud are not the older "boomer" generation, but younger people who grew up with phones in hand.

This isn’t to say older people don’t need help with media literacy, too. All of us do, regardless of age or background. The real threat to our future isn’t from the supposed conspiracies about hidden agendas. It’s the fact that phrases like "I saw it somewhere on the Internet" are thrown around without any scrutiny.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]