The Cost Of Wrong Information

The Cost Of Wrong Information

Choose wisely.

This reminder is your guide in coping with the voluminous information that can swamp the faint-hearted in the Information age. Beware!

Be aware that there are data that can affect you indiscriminately, and some can add knowledge and make you a wiser person.

Perhaps, one of the best things that happened in the Information Age is the Internet. It allowed people access to tons of data on every imaginable subject studied by humankind. People should celebrate this development. In its truest sense, information is disseminated with the aim of adding knowledge.

That celebration is cut short with the realization that the Internet can also be a viable tool for unscrupulous people to disseminate wrong information for selfish personal reasons. The word ‘beware’ is not meant to scare you. It is a wake-up call to make you aware that indeed, it is possible to get correct and misleading information.

What can wrong information do to you? There may be instances where your data supports your initial idea and makes you believe you are on the right track. Later on, you find out that your conclusions are wrong. By then, you already lost one of the most important things in life - precious time. Time is irretrievable. Time could be the factor to an opportunity lost.

So, how do you know which information is correct or misleading?

Familiarize your self with the subject you are interested in. Research on things claimed by the experts. Consider also the credibility of these experts. Develop the practice of doing critical thinking.

Information supporting a generally accepted thought may be considered correct and safe. Generally, not every one would deliberately print information that is false, or have the intention to mislead. Most information is truthful and forthright. What you must be concerned about are those small details that might somehow affect your expected outcome.

All the while, you may think that you are heading towards the right direction, eager to get there on time, then find out afterwards, you are headed somewhere else. On top of this, you have wasted time! Charge it to experience.

Hasty decisions can sometimes be costly. It would be wise to invest more time on studying, reviewing, and acting on the best options.

The onset of the information age brought about the proliferation of computers. Man foresaw a paperless community where there would be lesser use of paper. The opposite happened.

It has been noted that paper consumption went up and the trend points to its steady rise. It appears that the amount of information being disseminated has now increased compared to more than a decade ago, hence requiring more paper. With people who insist on hard copies aside from the soft copy, the result is more paper consumption. Man did not successfully attain his purpose of cutting down the consumption of paper.

The same thing can happen with you. Misleading information will only lead you farther away from the truth. You thought you are headed towards achieving your objective, but you may only wind up disappointed.

Be careful in your choice of information. Do not take it all in “hook, line and sinker” as the saying goes. Make sure the information on your hand is the one you really need. Develop critical thinking. Choose wisely.