That’s a Fact Jack

Yesterday I saw the story break about actor Andrew Garfield allegedly dissing young cancer survivor Miles Scott who became an internet sensation last year for getting his wish to become “Batkid”.

Andrew and Batkid were to appear during the Oscars in a segment that would solidify Batkid forever as a superhero.  It didn’t happen.

Enter Page Six, which is more akin to a tabloid than a credible news source, put out a story that Andrew “snubbed” the little superhero over a dispute on the script.  This painted Andrew as a jerk and the interweb community quickly picked up their pitchforks and torches and ranted on how much Andrew was a jerk and, well, other colorful metaphors.

We’re too quick to judgment.  Without thinking people were name calling and voicing their disgust over the situation.  In our must-have-it-now society, we’re taking what we read, and what others have shared as proven fact, without doing our own checking.  There are always two sides to a story.  What we perceive, and what happened.  In many cases the two can be the same, other cases not so much.

So how can you be sure what you read is true?  First off, check the source.  Would you listen to a pathological liar and assume what they said was true?  Of course not, you’d want to verify it with a source you could trust.  Take the time to pull things apart and consider it.  If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  There is a grain of truth to everything, but if your source is good at dramatizing things, I would be suspicious.

When the facts about Andrew surfaced after several hours of online bashing, it turns out the Oscars dropped the segment because of time constraints of a live program.  Andrew and Batkid actually spent the day at DisneyLand curtesy of the Oscars instead.  I’m sure the little guy enjoyed that more.

Page Six had a couple truths, the segment didn’t happen, and there was some discussion over the script.  Everything else they reported was inaccurate and they omitted the fact that Andrew and Batkid spent the day at Disneyland instead.

Now as you look at your Facebook and Twitter feeds, consider if what you are reading is true or false.  Is that photo real or was it manipulated.  Consider the sources and do a little fact finding before you share or retweet.

And that’s a fact, Jack…   Now, who is Jack?  (Fact: the saying comes from the movie Stripes.  Thank you interwebs!)