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"Glad you asked! While there are lots of ways to tell if something is misinformation, this particular sign has three. You already know about the use of 'they.'" The guards nod. "Another clue is that 'you' is misspelled. Typos can show that the person wasn't being careful when creating the misinformation. If they aren't careful with the spelling, how careful do we think they are with the factual content?"
"Ooooooohhhh," the guards say in unison.
"Of course, we all make typos," you continue as one of the guards blushes, "so that by itself may not be enough. But if you see a typo, it's a good idea to look for other warning signs."
"Ok, so typos and vague villains, anything else?" the head guard asks.
"Yes, actually there is." You point at the words in all caps. "See how some words are written in all caps? When we read words in all caps, we interpret this as yelling -- and yelling makes us mad. The creator of this sign was also very particular about which words they capitalized. They picked the words that would make us the maddest."
"Why would they want us to be mad?"
"Because the more angry we are, the less rational our thought processes are. Anger makes us more likely to like and share misinformation."
"So if we read something that makes us mad, we should question why we feel that way?"
You nod. "Now you got it!"
The head guard beams with pride and holds out her hand. You grasp her hand in return. After the world's most painful handshake, the guards bid your farewell and return to the castle.
YOU HAVE LIVED
