# Filtering and fake news
## September 28th

If everyone in the country learned and used "crap detection", we would still be affected by fake news and media manipulation - however, not to the same extent as we are currently affected. By being able to determine if a website is credible, people would not be fooled as often by manipulative articles. For example, if a lie was created about a policy made by Joe Biden, using crap detection would make it easy to distinguish the lies from the facts. However, just because everyone has learned "crap detection" skills, that dies not guarantee they would be used every time somone reads an article. Humans are inherently lazy and like to take shortcuts. On top of that, people often believe what they want to believe. However, learning and using "crap detection" skills would help make the media less manipulative. It is possible that some people would rather read fake news that supports their point of view then read factually correct news which is a problem. For example, when former President Donald Trump called coronavirus a democratic hoax, people believed him with no evidence to back it up. Obviously, a global pandemic that impacted almost every country in the world is not a democratic hoax, since the United States is not the only country in the world. Logically that opinion makes no sense, yet plenty of people believed it since their leader told them it was true.

Additionally, filter bubbles would most likely not be more prevalent than they are now. Filter bubbles can be defined as a situation in which a person encounters information that reinforce their beliefs. This happens when algorithms "dictate what we encounter online... even when a site is not offering specifically targeted content, we all tend to follow people whose views align with ours" (How Filter Bubbles Distort Reality: Everything You Need to Know). No matter how educated people are on the matter, filter bubbles will likely be a reality because people will seek out the news that back what they believe. For example, if I believe that Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player ever, I am more likely to seek content that reaffirms my belief, By doing that I will naturally come across more articles that support my point of view, effectively placing myself in a filter bubble. Filter bubbles would most likely not be as prevalent due to crap detection. Those who want to find the truth and dislike fake news can find out which information is true and what has been manipulated by the media.