Welcome to the internet (blog post 1)

 I'm not sure if anyone else has seen Bo Burnham's new comedy special, "Inside", but he did a bit about the internet (I'll post a link to the video below). I could not get the song out of my head all day, and I think the message of the song is worth thinking about. What is the impact of giving kids access to the internet, where they can find "a little bit of everything, all of the time"? Can we show kids how to use the power of the internet in a constructive way?

Bo Burnham on the internet. Warning: not safe for kids.

As a biology/science teacher, I am concerned about the amount of misinformation on the internet. I am even more concerned knowing that my students will be doing most of their research on the internet-- what if the things they find are completely incorrect? I understand that science textbooks are by no means infallible; many are outdated and biased in their own ways. However, it is fairly easy to find a science textbook that does not promote anti-vaccination propaganda, climate change denial, or flat earth conspiracy nonsense.

There is plenty of "science" supporting the flat earth theory to be found on the internet

While some misinformation, like flat earth, can seen harmless on the surface, there is an alarming amount of extremely dangerous misinformation on the internet. I think teaching students how to identify misinformation (including ads/ sponsored content!) will be extremely important. Showing them how to identify reliable sources will also be important. 

Sadly, this seems to be the case.