Guys, it’s 2016 and we have the internet.

It’s a weird and wonderful place – filled to the brim with cute cat videos, people in various states of undress, a treasure trove of information and (gasp) a monstrous amount of absolute garbage.

That’s why a simple tool like Google is your friend. You see, if you’re able to click share on Facebook you’re able to Google some keywords from the story you’re about to spread, in order to test its veracity.

That’s a fancy word for ‘accuracy’, Google it.

Without naming names I have seen two Facebook friends share this story today, which originated from a site called GossipMillSA. Yes, for real:

Shock, outrage, people ranting on Facebook with comments like ‘what else can we expect from the ANC?’.

And so the news gets spread, and people continue to comment about how angry this makes them, but they can’t take a moment to type https://gossipmillsa.com/ into their browser.

Because, if they did, here’s the kind of tripe that would greet them:

Hey, look, it’s that cheeky Jade Wilsons again.

Here’s the thing, eager to rage Facebook users – you don’t need to spread nonsense, because our politicians and bigwigs provide all the real, authenticated ammunition you need to satisfy your cravings.

Nkandla, Marikana, Guptagate, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, private jets, illicit arms deals – tip of the iceberg there, and all things we have been (and should continue to be) angered by.

That bullshit post you shared, the one you couldn’t be bothered to fact check AT ALL, maybe it means one more person sat on the couch tomorrow who now can’t be bothered to vote.

‘Ag what’s the point hey, the ANC have those 80 000 votes anyway’.

It’s an oversimplification of a much bigger problem, but let’s just agree to be a little more vigilant with the things we share on social media.

How is it that someone will try out eight different filters before posting a photo to Instagram, but doing the slightest background check on a story they’re about to share is too much?

To wrap up the rant here’s BusinessTech:

A hoax news report claiming that two people were arrested in Tembisa for being in possession of over 80,000 ballot papers pre-marked in favour of the ANC has been dismissed by the SAPS.

The story, which was shared thousands of times on Facebook and posted by gossip news site, Gossip Mill Mzansi, cited an unnamed police officer as a source of the news, and little else.

Colonel Amelia Dreyer of the South African Police Service confirmed to BusinessTech that the story is a hoax.

“This seems to be one of the many hoax news websites that are mushrooming on the internet. There is no verified source to the story,” Dreyer said.

Thousands of shares – let that sink in.

Please, and I mean this with love in my heart, stop sharing this shit on Facebook and stop being so willingly uninformed.

[source:businesstech]