While we live in an extraordinary period of technological innovation, there is a downside that plagues us all. Between social media, extreme political polarization, and artificial intelligence, at any given moment it’s unclear whether the information you see and hear is accurate and truthful. That unreliability can run the gamut from election news to health information. This plethora of unreliable or even outright fraudulent information makes it hard to trust much of what you read and can affect the conclusions you draw and the decisions you make. We know that during the height of the COVID epidemic, misinformation was rampant about everything from the use of masks to the value of vaccines. And that mistrust of health information now seems to permeate more general health news and decision-making.

According to a recent survey from the University of Michigan, 20% of adults aged 50 and over are not confident that they can identify inaccurate health-related information and 74% of survey respondents said they would have little or no trust in health information generated by artificial intelligence (AI). So, with some irony, those who may need the best health information are more likely to be unable to recognize misinformation when it comes to their health. Recently The New York Times posted an article on how to spot health misinformation and how to confirm the reliability of the information you are researching or discovering. Among the easy-to-implement ideas recommended by The Times? Be wary of medical claims that lack supporting evidence or that quote “fake experts”- you should be able to verify the expertise of someone with a quick Google search. Be on the lookout for language that tugs at your emotions, with outrageous claims or polarizing language. Accurate and truthful information shouldn’t need skewed language to convey its guidance. Always look to reliable sources for your health information and verify the reliability by confirming the information among several sources. Above all, if it sounds too good to be true, trust your instincts and verify the information before acting upon it or sharing it. Your physician should be a good source of confirmation or information to the contrary.

Perhaps with more immediate implications, the rampant misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation currently floating in our political discourse is enough to make your head explode. A recent RAND study of the media habits and misinformation susceptibility of adults 55 years and older warns that misleading or untruthful information could negatively influence older adults. Among the findings? One-third of those surveyed admit that they view online social media posts about social or political issues every day. Three-quarters of those surveyed expressed being very concerned about misinformation or disinformation online. With the upcoming election, these habits and concerns are even more distressing. The Washington Post recently published a couple of pieces about how to avoid falling for misinformation, and also a quiz alerting you to tips and cues as to why certain election information you may read is not accurate or truthful. Similar to some of the suggestions from The New York Times post on misleading health information, these Washington Post articles urge you to be suspicious of provocative language, avoid falling for outrageous claims that your gut tells you can’t be true, go slow with sharing any suspicious info and do your homework to verify claims by using multiple reliable sources. Moreover, for anything on X (formally Twitter) don’t assume it’s truthful or accurate just because the person posting has a blue check next to their name. And what about those AI images? They may be hard to discern as fake, but there are telltale signs including hands that don’t look human, blurred backgrounds or distorted details, and overly polished and stylized images that just don’t look realistic.

For even more insights into how to stick to trusted info and advice this election season, take a look at the recent 2-pager issued by CISA, the government Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that’s tasked with ensuring the security and accuracy of our elections. Echoing the warnings mentioned in this post, CISA provides a list of reliable election resources and describes what may happen regarding the spreading of false or misleading information this election season. So be smart, search for reliable sources of information, and make sure you verify the information on which you are relying to make your election decisions. As Winston Churchill once said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”