Subhechcha Ganguly 
Modern warfare finds its utilisation on the battlefield, and that’s where tactics, strategy and precision come to the fore! While modern art of war includes the latest military technology that focuses on land, air, and sea, there’s another field which must be covered, lest it become infested with deceitful lies and venom-spewing propaganda.
It’s the war of misinformation and the battle of finding the single source of truth. It’s essential to know that modern battles and full-fledged wars may have enemies within cyberspace, whose main motives are to pick a narrative, build it and transport it to people through open media platforms, which are unregulated and work on the algorithm that pushes vitriolic comments and becomes a viral machine for fake news.
The Truth Serum is Fake: When a war-like situation occurs, it brings along death, destruction and irregular patterns that consume the conscience of people and make them believe in news that is manufactured and in many cases, extremely fake. The victims of war deal with drooping shoulders, disjointed facts, and fall prey to the trigger effect of fake news, where facts are twisted, biases are used as a ladder to hurl discomfort, and in the end, create sections of society that resort to coups, destructive methods, and separatism.
Verbal Diarrhoea Alert: We need not travel too far to realise how some mainstream media channels resort to debunking the truth and sensationalising events on the field. The misinformation warfare can be damaging to people, societies and countries for the sheer pace at which they travel, and define opinions about anyone and any place at any time. What’s worrisome is that once evil is out in the open, the wild instincts of people are activated, leading to an acrimonious display of humanity in the pits.
Warfare Wars Synthetic Opinions: While no person on earth would ever go to war, there are instances where escalations occur and terrestrial ammunition is used to prove a point and gather an upper hand. However, in modern times, we have seen that sleazy and slimey stories on character assassination, cult mongering, and classist divides through information misguidance fuel the already tense situation. This tears down any sensible cultural fabric that exists and tilts the world towards a digitally inflicted divide and rule.
Prevent Skirmishes, Prevent Information Misfires: Validate, Verify, and Act with Valour! It might take time; however, ensure trusted sources fill your minds with the news that matters. Build a small cohort of people who are committed to not mincing the truth for unruly advantages, and most importantly, decide to be a fact-checker for life!
While we cannot control what happens externally due to power-hungry factions and agenda-driven panels at the helm, we must do our part to put the truth in front of everyone and not be fooled by algorithms that rule information channels online.
Keep a tight grip on what you consume online, read for pleasure and share with your connections.
Activate your arsenal to spread information that will be pivotal to keep the battle cries and war calls away, with facts and information that settle the ‘One versus The Other’ debate once and for all!
Use information wisely, bring peace and prosperity to the world!
#InformationMatters #BeInformed #BeATruthSeeker
