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I Propose an Experiment

I'd like to propose an experiment.

As a member of society, I have an obligation to have at least a basic understanding of what is going on in the world right now. And even if I don't, I try to use common sense to be skeptical. But does everyone?

Now I know in today's society, you can't just go walk up to a stranger and ask them a question because well, people suck nowadays, but maybe you can get to some people you know.

And trust me, I realize the irony of asking the 10 people who read this thing to go out and do a social experiment, but I'm going to ask you anyway.

So, what's the best way to achieve results? First of all, what's the experiment?

I propose you tell someone a fictional news story, mentioning you "saw it on the news". I know, fake news and all. However, the catch is you tell them a recent, true news story first.

I also realize this involves actually talking to another human being, in person...yuck... But I want to know how exactly people receive news, fake or real, as well as how much they trust their source.

Ideally, testing this on a stranger and an acquaintance and measuring the differences and similarities in responses would be interesting... but I guess we can't have it all.

Ok, so for the stories. Paraphrasing is advised.

True story:

Hey _______! Hey, so I heard the other day that by July 1st, 2018, marijuana will be legalized in Canada! Crazy eh?

.... Measure reaction i.e. well received, shock, in the loop, disbelief, asked for source etc...

False story:

Hmm, what was the other story I heard on the news... Right! It was something about the Canadian government increasing the reach of civilian surveillance programs. If you ask me, we're following too far in the footsteps of the States with this one.

.... Measure reaction i.e. well received, shock, in the loop, disbelief, asked for source etc...

And that's it!

So, if you're interested in trying it out on some friends or relatives (who don't read my blog, but who you should share the blog with after) and you have some success, comment your experiences somewhere and I'll be sure to consolidate all the results.

Worst case, you don't try the experiment, but you learn about Canada's new, greener future. Yaay all that tax revenue.

Also, if you're on a computer reading this, check out the new sidebar on the left side! There are some of my top posts listed there that you may find interesting.

There's also a subscribe button at the top now! You can enter an email address to get instantly notified of new posts. I won't email you for any other reason and will not share your address with anyone. That's right, I'm one of the good ones. Probably because I make no money from this thing...

Anyway, that's enough self-promotion. Thanks for reading, and until next time,
J


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