Fake vs. Real News

Why does fake news even exist? It is big money for those that fabricate it. Ad companies sell ads on these sites because of the eyeballs that go to fake news. The more clicks a site receives, the more money in advertising they can receive. Fake news sites can make tens of thousands in revenue through ads on the platform.

So how do I tell the difference? Here are a few tips and tricks:

1. Look at the domain and URL - Does the site end in a standard “.com” or does it end in something else? Look out for “.com.co” for example.

2. Read the “About Us” section - Look for clear, straightforward language and information. Nothing overly dramatic.

3. Look for quotes - Fake news is often devoid of quotes. Real news and journalists will include many quotes to give its content validation.

4. Who said what? - Dig into the people that are saying the quotes. Are they a reputable source?

5. Watch out for clickbait - Does it pass the sniff test? These are the ridiculous headlines that are used to get you to click on the article. These are exaggerated to help drive you to their website. If it is too insane to be true, it normally is.

6. Be aware of politically charged information - Lookout for your personal bias. If you immediately get fired up about an article, it was probably written just for you to further polarize you.

7. Facts are not often as sexy as lies - Therefore, they are less likely to go viral. Because something has a large number of shares does NOT make it true. Check the sources, quotes, images.

8. Avoid social media outlets for your news - This is not where you want to go to gain perspective on the world. This has been made all the more clear over the last couple of years as major sites (i.e. Facebook) have been slammed for the proliferation of fake news on their platforms.

Big Idea:

Not everything you read is true, don’t trust the first thing you see.

Source:

Davis, Wynne, “Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts,” NPR, December 5, 2016, accessed October 10, 2018, https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-to-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts. https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-to-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts

Grocery Shopping

Something so simple but so important. Back in college a mentor of mine actually took me grocery shopping so that I would learn how to do it on my own. Before that trip, grocery shopping sort of had a blank check tied to it. I would just pick up whatever sounded good on that day, toss it in the cart and head for the register.

The average person spends over $200 every month in groceries. This really adds up quickly and can be a huge source of wasted funds if you aren’t careful. Below are some tricks to grocery shop like an adult:

1. Figure out what you want to eat that week and make a list.

2. Once the list is made, remember the list when you get to the store!

3. Don’t go to the grocery store when you are hungry, you always spend more.

4. Look at the price per unit, not the total price. This is telling you the true cost to what you are receiving.

5. Always look for your favorites when shopping and when they are on sale, stock up.

6. Clip coupons (or use digital ones) and keep them all together to save some money.

7. Make one or two big meals for the week. Eat some, have some leftovers and throw the rest in the freezer for later.

8. Use a system that you order ahead and pick up (or have delivered), this eliminates wasted time and keeps you from browsing and buying extras.

Big Idea:

Plan out your weekly grocery shopping

Just Do It!

Always start small (and easy).

Just getting started can oftentimes feel like too much. This may be shocking but Adulting 101 wasn’t written in one long marathon writing session. It was over four months. A few hundred words each day. One hour each morning. One chapter per week.

When I first had the idea to write a book, I was immediately overwhelmed but knew this was something that I had always wanted to do. But where should I begin? I reached out to a mentor of mine and he recommended breaking up the entire book by chapter leading up to our manuscript deadline. Then each author wrote one chapter each week to accomplish this goal.

“Consistency is the mother of mastery” - Robin Sharma

Oftentimes, as an adult, you run across situations that seem overwhelming in the moment. The first thing you will want to do is take a step back and a deep breath. Then, set really small goals to help you finish the big project. And knock out the easiest one first! Think about a snowball. You want to start small and as it begins to roll and build momentum it continues to get bigger and faster. Most big projects are the exact same way.

Big Idea

1. Start all big tasks with an easy first step