1. You are in control of the information you take in.
News today is designed to provoke, not inform. The algorithms reward high-stress content indiscriminately. Instead of passively consuming whatever appears on your feeds, take control of your information intake. Diversify your sources, read critically, and prioritize primary sources over interpretations.
2. Never consume information blindly.
Always look for the motives and intentions of the person/entity behind the information you take in. Every story is framed with intent. What’s omitted is just as important as what’s emphasized. The language used—whether it’s “reform” or “overhaul,” “protest” or “riot”—guides how you process information before you even realize it. If you understand the messenger, you have a broader understanding of what is being said.
3. Identify and acknowledge emotionally manipulative tactics.
Misinformation spreads because it taps into fear, anger, or validation. If something pisses you off or makes you upset, pause. Anger and upset are the body's way of moving us towards identifying the source of our distress. Identify what you can change now, and act on that.
4. Connect off of the internet, in person.
Online discourse rewards performative engagement, but in-person interactions foster understanding. The more time you spend offline, engaging in your local community, the more resilient you become against the social alienation that fuels radicalization and paranoia.
5. Resist impulsively reacting.
Not every event requires your immediate reaction. It may feel like you are expected have an opinion on everything, but this can keep you distracted and immobile. Unfollow accounts that keep you in a state of perpetual crisis. Focus on what is within your capacity to change, and change it.
6. Make it more difficult for others to lie to you.
When a movement demands loyalty but not accountability, meet that only with skepticism. If defending an institution, leader, or ideology becomes more important than questioning it, take a step back.
7. Always remain fluid and adaptable.
Rigid worldviews make you easy to control. If you’re unwilling to question your own beliefs, you’re just as susceptible to misinformation as those you might criticize. The need for certainty is what moves you towards truth— but resilience is built by learning to appreciate complexities and nuance, and seeing the gray between black and white.
