Can you pass this misinformation quiz?

The size of your network + the value of punctuality (Issue #318)  
  
## Can you pass this misinformation quiz?

#### The size of your network + the value of punctuality (Issue #318)

By The Medium Blog ∙ April 25, 2025 ∙ 3 min read ∙ View on MediumThe word “misinformation” entered the discourse somewhere at the end of the 2010s (here’s the Google trends chart showing a spike around 2020, probably covid-related). We all vaguely know what it means — false or misleading information — but as with most abstract concepts, applying it to real life is the difficult part.Enter: the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (aka MIST).Designed in 2023 by two researchers at the University of Cambridge and the University of British Columbia, it’s the first scientifically validated tool to measure one’s susceptibility to misinformation (meaning it’s repeatable and reliable). As Andrea Romeo RN, BN explains on Medium, the team used AI to generate hundreds of fake headlines and coupled those with 100 real ones from “minimally biased” news sources.You can take the test here. It’s essentially a list of headlines, and you must discern whether each one is true or false. (To me, this was difficult to do without reading the article it’s ostensibly attached to. But that’s kind of the point — most of our news consumption boils down to headline judgments.)What interested me more than the quiz itself are the researchers’ findings as to _who_ is most susceptible to believing misinformation — and how to spot misinfo. Young adults (18–29) were least likely to correctly identify misinformation, according to researchers (only 11% of test-takers in this group got 17+ out of 20 questions correct). “Chronically online people” (those of us who like to browse the internet for fun, which includes me) had the same issue, probably because we consume so much chaos.One suggestion for developing more of an immunity to falsehoods: watch for “overly emotional language.” Tune into how you feel while reading, or scrolling. Move toward media that gives you clarity and insight, and away from what makes you feel like you’ve suddenly been dragged into a fight._—_ _Harris Sockel_ _P.S. Join us today for Draft Day 2025!_

###  👀 What else we’re reading

  * I appreciated this first-hand account of what it was like to work for Pope Francis, written by a longtime papal secretary: “He met people where they were at and welcomed any opportunity to dialogue, even if his words and gestures were misinterpreted or usurped.” (Daniel B. Gallagher)
  * A note to anyone who wants to go freelance: Your network is bigger than you think. It’s anyone you’ve ever made a good impression on, plus everyone they know. (Lovish at Otherdays)
  * I nodded along to this essay on why online dating makes me (and not just me, I’m sure) feel bad: “When we outsource Eros to software — when we tell it “Here’s my type, my hobbies, my icks […]” it becomes the worst kind of god: one that gives us exactly what we ask for. True desire doesn’t obey. True desire comes uninvited.” (Sherry Ning)



### ⏰ A dose of practical wisdom

Punctuality is kindness. (Will Leitch)··· _Deepen your understanding every day with the Medium Newsletter.__Sign up here_ _.__Edited and produced by_ _Scott Lamb_ _ & __Carly Rose Gillis_ _Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us:__tips@medium.com_ _Like what you see in this newsletter but not already a Medium member? Read without limits or ads, fund great writers, and_ _join a community that believes in human storytelling_ _._

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