FAKE NEWS SHARED BY BABY BOOMERS, BUT WHY?

For online fans of social media there’s a drumbeat across many platforms saying the same thing: Baby boomers share more fake news than any other demographic.

The usual cutoff age is sixty five, so I’ve got another year before I hit that wall.

If you are a boomer I’ve got a question: Do you share fake news? The consensus answer is ‘Probably.’

The common excuse is, “Not on purpose.”

But why do boomers stand out from the rest of the online hoard?

Consider the age factor.

At some point in human existence, nature takes over. We’re old and getting older. Not every boomer is a lifelong learner, they’ve lived long enough to know a few things, and they’re proud of their knowledge. Maybe too proud?

If all of our needs are met by a keyboard and a screen, at least our need to feel smart and connected, fake news is perfect.

Look, I’m a blogger, I write blog posts, lots of them. Of the hundreds of thousands of words I’ve put online I like to think none of them add up to fake news of any kind. Not my deal. History majors are like that, unless they have sketchy points to make.

People cherry pick news to fit their own idea of reality. If some nut job makes comments on facebook or twitter or instagram or some anonymous blog, and it gets passed along, who’s to blame?

Consider how many bored retired people who need to feel connected, who were part of the game they dropped out of as soon as they could, who need validation.

One way to feel on top of the world is being first. First up in the morning to meet another day of nothingness; first one to complain about the latest disappointment; first to lay claim to the customs and traditions they once rejected.

We’re talking about baby boomers and fake news here, not some GenX or millennial who couldn’t give two shits about fake news because they know the difference. Boomers led a revolution, a cultural change, a seismic shift in America that spread across the globe.

How high is too high?

Didn’t everyone tune in, turn on, and drop out once they got the green light? No, they didn’t. Even among those who went all the way in have some regret, some bitterness, some anger. Turn that bottled up bundle of vileness loose on a keyboard with an internet connection and fake news steps in for a close up.

One way to clear the boomer name of being idiotic is to not share anything out of fear. “Don’t make me look stupid,” ought to be a new mantra.

Another way is to break down any news story that fits an agenda all too well. Take the time to check references, attributions, authors. Of just click a share button and leave it at that.

If you know better, do the right thing. If you don’t know better, welcome to the party.

By the way, Elvis pumped my gas yesterday. He looked good for eighty four. Pass it along.